Evansville, county move toward consolidation

A possible merger of the Vanderburgh County and Evansville governments has moved forward with county commissioners’ vote
to do a consolidation study.

The commissioners voted 3-0 Tuesday night. A reorganization committee will be formed
if the Evansville City Council approves a similar resolution within a month.

Ultimately, voters would have to approve
any merger.

Some opponents told the county commissioners they worried consolidation would give too much power to
a small number of people and could mean increased taxes for those who now live outside the city.

But county Commissioner
Lloyd Winnecke said the study would be a chance to revamp how local government operates.

"The opportunity
that is before us, because of the legislation that is in place, is that we can start with a clean slate and form our government
into the way we envision it as a community," Winnecke said.

Evansville Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel has said
he would consider a city-county merger, particularly with new statewide property tax caps making money a concern.

City and county officials would have to submit a proposed referendum to the county election board by late July for the question
to be included on the November election ballot. Evansville is the state’s third-largest city with a population of about 116,000
people. About 59,000 people live outside the city limits in Vanderburgh County.

The only merged city-county government
in the state is in Indianapolis, which underwent its consolidation in the early 1970s.

Vanderburgh County Commissioner
Troy Tornatta said now is the appropriate time to consider consolidation.

"We’re not in the same environment
that we were 100 years ago, 200 years ago, 50 years ago, 10 years ago, when I started," he said. "Knowing where
our finances are and could be in the next few years, any efficiency and any opportunity we have to make our community better
when others are stalling, I’m in favor of."