By LINDA McGURK
Indiana Correspondent

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Is Indiana bouncing back from the recession? How will budget shortfalls impact rural communities in the state? And how did this year’s property tax reforms affect taxpayers and local governments?

During a Dec. 16 workshop hosted by Purdue University extension, Larry DeBoer, a Purdue agricultural economist, will give an update on the state of the Indiana economy. The workshop is geared toward local government officials, but anybody is welcome to attend.

“We’re trying to help local government officials understand some of the issues on the state level that will impact their units of government as well,” said Scott Hutcheson, interim program leader of community and economic development with Purdue extension.
The workshop will be 2-4:30 p.m. EST on Dec. 16 and may be viewed online from a home computer by going to https://gomeet.itap.purdue.edu/localgov12-16-09

It can also be attended at one of 18 county extension offices: Allen, Bartholomew, Clinton, Floyd, Fountain, Hamilton, Hendricks, Jasper, Johnson, Kosciusko, Lake, LaPorte, Parke, Porter, Spencer, Tippecanoe, Vigo and White.

The workshop is free, but those who would like to attend at an extension location should register with that office by Dec. 14. Contact information for the Purdue Extension county offices is available at www.ag.purdue.edu/extension/Pages/Counties.aspx

DeBoer will wrap up the 2009 legislative session and cover some of the issues the Indiana General Assembly will have to deal with next year, including a budget shortfall that may last into 2011.
“Tax revenues were $475 million below what was forecast for the first five months of this year’s budget,” said DeBoer, a public policy analyst who consults with the Indiana legislature about tax and finance issues.

“By one measure, the state had about $300 million in reserve balances for the biennium. That amount already has been exceeded. It’s little wonder that the Governor asked state agencies and universities to spend less.”

The event is part of Purdue extension’s ongoing On Local Government series of educational workshops about the legislature and how its decisions affect communities across the state. The workshops normally focus on economic issues, but next year Purdue is planning to host one on how to make local governments more energy efficient. The workshop has had as many as 400 participants in the past.

“It’s not only an update, but we try to spur the creative thinking among the attendees as well on how to address budget issues. One thing that’s exciting is that people often show up from different communities and share ideas on how to save money, so there’s a lot of peer learning as well,” DeBoer said.

For more information on the workshop, contact Jenna Wargo at 765-496-6491 or via e-mail at jwargo@purdue.edu