RESOLUTION 2023-11
"Committee to Study Potential Reorganization of the local governments of Northwest Boone County"
The citizens of Thorntown, Sugar Creek and Washington Township have indicated the desire to manage the Northwest area of Boone County and are requesting a study be done to determine a plan to reorganize the three government subdivisions.
WHEREAS, the General Assembly of the State of Indiana has enacted legislation codified at the Indiana Code 36-1.5-1-1 et. seq., most commonly referred to as the "Government Modernization Act of 2006", which allows political subdivisions to explore methods to increase efficiency and cooperation amongst themselves towards providing better government for their residents; and
WHEREAS, Thorntown of Boone County has independently determined that the Government Modernization Act of 2006 affords a unique and timely opportunity for Sugar Creek and Washington Township and Thorntown to jointly study whether there is any potential for effective and cooperative reorganization of the local governance of their jurisdictions to pass a resolution and appoint three (3) members from each subdivision to a committee to study the potential restructuring of local government within the present geographic boundaries of such presently existing governmental subdivisions; and
WHEREAS, the Government Modernization Act of 2006 imposes specific procedures and requirements to be adhered to by such appointed committee members in the discharge of their duties in studying potential reorganization of the local governments of Sugar Creek and Washington Townships and the Town of Thorntown;
1 NOW, THEREFORE, the appointed committee members are to commence their work upon approval of this resolution. The committee will be guided by the Government Modernization Act of 2006 and this organization Statement:
1. NAME. The Committee's official name shall be "Committee to Study Potential Reorganization of the local governments of Northwest Boone County"; also unofficially referred to as "Communities of Northwest Boone County Area for Better Government."
2. GOAL. The desire and intent of the Committee is to examine potential governmental reorganization in Sugar Creek and WashingtonTownships and the Town of Thorntown bearing in mind at all times the goals of efficiency and cooperation in governance and the objectives of:
maintaining and enhancing the small-town heritage of the Thorntown area;
maintaining and enhancing the need for rural, agrarian areas to peacefully co-exists with residential, commercial, and industrial development within Northwest Boone County towards the end of advancing prudent fiscal Planning and support for required local governmental services;
maintaining and enhancing the provision of fiscally sound government services within Northwest Boone County, including the following functions and services:
Infrastructure such as roads, streets, bridges, utilities, sanitary sewers, storm sewers and rural drainage; and
Planning, zoning, land use and building standards; and
Parks and Recreation; and
Health, safety and welfare services, such as police, fire, EMS, health protection, pollution control and those services presently provided by the Township Trustees;
and Other services and functions that may hereafter be deemed desirable or necessary by the associated government units.
2. COMMITTEE ORGANIZATION. The Committee shall elect a chair and vice-chair and otherwise organize itself into working sub-committees as determined to be necessary by most members. Any working sub-committee so formed may be compromised of interested and appointed residents of Sugar Creek and Washington Townships and the Town of Thorntown, but the chair of any such sub-committee shall be a member of the nine (9) person committee. Further, the Committee may appoint one of its members or some other non-member, as determined by a majority vote of the Committee, to be its secretary.
3. COMMUNICATION and REPORTING PLAN. The Committee intends to carefully but expeditiously engage in its study to be able to timely report to Sugar Creek and Washington Townships and the Town of Thorntown its findings such that should the legislative bodies of two (2) or more such 3 governments desire to take action on such report those two (2) or more governments might be able to place a referendum for a public vote on the ballot in May 2024. Further, throughout its study, the Committees desire to maintain a website for communicating the status of its study to interested residents.
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