Say ‘yes’ to governor’s ballot referendums
While Gov. Daniels’ proposals for reducing property taxes are promising, they don’t contain provisions for spending caps and will primarily shift the tax burden to income and sales taxes.
Without a limit on local spending, especially construction projects and their associated bond issues, taxes will continue to increase in one form or another.
The only way to currently stop these projects is with the remonstrance process, which the governor describes as “klutzy†at best. Last summer, with a great expenditure of money and time, my wife and I led a remonstrance against the Fort Wayne Community Schools’ $500 million remodeling project. Although we collected 33,000 votes and handily defeated the project, all we gained was the likelihood of having to do it again next year.
The governor’s original proposal would replace the remonstrance process, which is only used in Indiana, with a ballot referendum used in all other states. Unfortunately, the Indiana State Senate, led by Republican David Long of Fort Wayne, is not considering the ballot referendum. Republican Senators Luke Kenly of Noblesville and Bob Meeks of LaGrange, who chaired the bipartisan committee on tax reform, oppose ballot referendums, supposedly because, according to Sen. Kenly, “nothing will pass.†The truth is that a project that is not well-documented and justified should not pass. Currently, if no one initiates a remonstrance, the taxing entity is home free with flimsy or no justification. A ballot referendum will force voters to pay better attention and require solid justification of any project. Nationally, 75 percent of such issues do pass.
Since the legislature is unlikely to impose spending caps, the taxpayers should be given a viable tool to say “no.†The remonstrance process is not a viable tool. Write to Gov. Daniels and your state senators and representatives and let them know that without ballot referendums, the current proposals are merely a band-aid for tax reform.
Evert and Susan Mol – Fort Wayne, IN
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This is a no-brainer as the referendum will not only help prevent wasteful school spending projects but it would prevent wasteful projects like Harrison Square as well. This should be issue #1 for all property taxpayers. Write/Call your local legislators and tell them that if they don’t support the referendum then you won’t be supporting them…
Jeff,
The problem is that Dave is not working for us he’s working for Pizza man. He has become a very powerful person who has forgotten who got him there. Oh wait, no he hasn’t it’s Pizza man!
Well said, Jeff!
This absolutely is the #1 issue. The legislators work for us.
What is so difficult about allowing a ballot referendum for school
and government building projects? If our eleccted officials do not understand that we as taxpayers should have a deciding vote,
then we need to send them a clear message at election time.
Here’s the reply Via…Tracy L. Mann for Senator David Long:
Mr. Kelly: Thanks for the email. I personally support the right to a
referendum for projects that exceed a certain dollar amount. We
currently have suggestions that this figure should be between $5 and $7
million dollars. What the correct figure should be is still being
debated, and will be until March. What you don’t want is every single
building project going to a referendum, because small projects will be
ongoing all the time. We are talking about major new construction, or
major reconstruction where the tax impact is significant, long term, and
requires substantial accumulation of debt. These are the projects that
are exacerbating the property tax situation. Projects such as a new
elementary school; new libraries; Harrison Square; major reconstruction
proposals such as the Ft. Wayne Community School project, etc.
In conjunction with this sort of debt control, you also need some
overall spending controls to keep the cost of local government in check.
The best methodology for this is also being debated, and will be until
our March 14th constitutional deadline to finish the 2008 Session.
Thank you for weighing in, and please continue to stay in touch.
Senator David Long
Comment To Senator David Long:
It’s time you understand and think about the people that you represent in
the 16th District…that includes Fort Wayne annexed area & what’s left
in the county of Aboite.
Your web-site is void of infomation unless you look to the year of 2005.
Please vote for ballot change so folks can voice their thoughts on:”big
expenditures” By the people, for the people…yes
If you do not support this ballot change than I will not support you.
Sent to Senator David C. Long
Via…Tracy L. Mann
Administrative Assistant to
State Senator David Long
President Pro Tempore
Phone: 317-232-9416
Please explain exactly where you are coming from here. I have no clue
what evidence you might have utilized to decide that I don’t know who I
am representing, or that I somehow don’t understand that some of my
constituents reside in Aboite. I live in Aboite; my taxes went up 75%
from the annexation; I do not and did not support the annexation; I
wrote the law changing the annexation laws in Indiana to be more
property taxpayer friendly and supportive; I am an outspoken supporter
of property tax reform; I support referendums on local capital projects
above a certain dollar level ($7 million is the currently discussed
figure). So just where am I not understanding the problems of my
constituents in Aboite?
Senator David Long
david sounds a little defensive doesnt he. I think you hit a vein of truth
Could someone please check out whether David Long voted for all the Helmke annexations when he was on the city council?