Motivation & Triangulation

What motivates White River Township Trustee Jay Marks? He battles the Township Board. He watches the political scene like a hawk watches a field mouse. He’s quick to express his opinion (something I can appreciate) and will always let you know where he stands. But lately I’ve been wondering why he chooses to stand where he does and what is the impact on unincorporated White River Township?

Listening to his public statements it’s easy to conclude that he opposes putting the current reorganization proposal before the voters in May. Rather, he suggests it needs more consideration, it needs to be reviewed and revised…by the same people who created it in the first place! In the next sentence he tells you that the map is wrong or the meetings were not held in public. While these are valid criticisms, they hardly seem reasons to support extending the process as far as the eye can see. It seems to make more sense to want to put us out of our misery as soon as possible. Let us vote on it. Kill it, if that is what the people want, and get on with life. But this is not where our Trustee stands. Makes me wonder why he chooses to stand to continue the process.

A triangle has three points. Put them together correctly and you can do great things. You can build pyramids. You can monitor the location of thousand of mobile phone users. You can determine where someone stands. Let’s apply this principle to the Trustees’ position.

Point #1: Mr. Marks says that Greenwood can annex portions of unincorporated White River Township while the study is underway. Think of that statement. Why on earth would Greenwood want to start annexation proceedings when they are in the process of merging with the same area at very low cost? The only possible outcome of such a move would be to turn the voters away from the reorganization in trickles. (I was going to say floods but, from what I’ve seen, I don’t think enough people will vote for it to cause a flood.)

Point #2: When asked at the public meeting on Monday night (February 1), Mr. Marks said that the on-going study would not stand in the way of a citizen-lead self-incorporation movement. Mr. Marks forgets that the Greenwood Common Council has already rejected such a proposal… nearly a year ago. At that time Ryan Rhoten asked the Council if they would be willing to wave the three-mile buffer zone and allow incorporation. Mr. Rhoten was quickly swatted down. So, why does Mr. Marks support continuing an environment that is hostile to self-incorporation of White River Township, while speaking so highly of its potential? This seems more like a straddle than a stand, but it will do for a second point.

Point #3: Mr. Marks has close ties with the Town of Bargersville. It’s there he owns a home. It’s in the recently acquired area along 135 that he owns a business. He lives and owns a business in incorporated White River Township. There is nothing wrong with that. Certainly anyone who can run a commercial operation and serve the community is an example to follow. I am proud of where I live in un-incorporated White River Township and I am certain that Mr. Marks is proud of Bargersville. With this information I have my third point and I think I can calculate why he chose his place to stand.

Without dismissing the welfare of the Township, the Trustee is holding Bargersville just a bit closer. It’s clear that should the study continue, the only potential winner is Bargersville. While the study could still be amended, Bargersville can continue to annex White River Township at will. Greenwood’s toothless threat to bring the “West-144 annexation” to court proved that the study committee is not a “stake in the ground.” Yet it has the potential to stop all other interested parties from moving forward. Greenwood gridlock is good…for Bargersville and for the Trustee’s primary (and active) constituents.

This position is not to the advantage of unincorporated White River Township, and is why I am pleased with the Monday night’s vote to put the issue on the ballot in May. Considering that roughly 80-percent of those who offered an opinion at the meeting had not read the proposal, there is little chance that further study would change many minds. Let’s get it over. As the Board realized nearly a month ago, it is time to put  it before the voters and let them finally decide. Then we can move on to other options.

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