By STAN MADDUX

Indiana Correspondent

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Indiana Farm Bureau (INFB) is keeping close tabs on any renewed effort to reduce the number of township governments in rural areas of the state, after a considerable effort last year failed.

The 2019 state legislature convened Jan. 3 for a four-month session. Katrina Hall, director of public policy for the Indianapolis-based INFB, said she's not aware of any pieces of legislation calling for a merger of townships yet but that could change, with things being so early in the session.

She noted there is at least one measure that calls for a study of township reform. "It remains to be seen what will materialize," she added.

INFB was strongly opposed last year to a House bill mandating that townships with fewer than 1,200 people merge with a neighboring township. Hall said about one-third of the state's 1,008 townships would have been required to consolidate by 2023, had the legislation become law.

The measure – with strong feelings on both sides – passed out of committee but was not presented to the full House for a vote. "I think people in rural areas just didn't feel like they wanted that crammed down their throat," Hall said.

INFB's position on the matter is that any merger should be proposed by a township board, then left up to township voters to decide after information about the pros and cons of such a move are made available for public review.

Supporters of reform believe there are too many townships and money can be saved by reducing what's often an unneeded and outdated level of government. Hall, though, said the value of township government being close to the people with services including fire protection, public education and assistance for the poor can't be measured strictly on cost savings and efficiencies that consolidation might bring.

She said township government is often the first and sometimes only local connection to governing, especially in extremely rural areas, and people needing services for the first time can find them quite easily.

Hall believes detractors might not be fully in touch with what really transpires at such a grassroots level. "It's easy to look from the outside when you're not involved in local government to say, ‘Hey, they don't do anything.’ But local government is where people actually receive services.”

State Rep. Jim Pressel (R-Rolling Prairie), a supporter of township consolidation last year, said his position could change depending on the language of any legislation that might be presented. He said he does see a need to consolidate some of the smaller townships without a fire department, park or cemeteries to operate or maintain.

He also said township reform was one of the more talked-about issues when lawmakers in the House gathered for the first day of the session this year. "I don't have any specifics, but there may be some bills offered on that," Pressel added.