"State commission looks at constitution change" is the headline to this AP story today. Some quotes:
A state panel examining the structure of local government is considering the possibility of changing Indiana's Constitution so that seven elected county offices could be abolished or appointed.The Evansville Star-Press reports:Sen. Marvin Riegsecker, a Goshen Republican who is chairman of the Local Government Efficiency and Financing Study Commission, said it is difficult to consider city-county mergers and consolidations without having any flexibility with the county offices.
"As long as you are constitutionally prohibited you can't do anything," Riegsecker said. "This allows changes if Allen County or Vanderburgh County or anyone else would want to. It gives them something to work with."
The offices that could be abolished or appointed are clerk of the circuit court, auditor, recorder, treasurer, sheriff, coroner and surveyor, The Journal Gazette of Fort Wayne reported.
Four similar proposals would amend the constitution to allow the General Assembly to pass a law either abolishing or making those offices appointed.
Different proposals also would give local county residents the opportunity to vote on any final changes to the offices locally.
INDIANAPOLIS - Four proposals to allow the Indiana Legislature to change county offices to appointed positions or to abolish them altogether were presented Friday to a commission charged with studying government efficiency.Posted by Marcia Oddi at October 9, 2004 05:36 PM