Two reasons Greenwood & WRT should vote “No” on merger

A few weeks ago, I wrote a commentary on why Bargersville residents should vote “Yes” on the reorganization plan. Township government would go away, and the “new” city of Greenwood would provide poor relief and cemetery maintenance to the portion of White River Township located inside the town of Bargersville. Bargersville gets services without having to pay for them. Not a bad deal for Bargersville, not so good for the “new” Greenwood residents.

That is the same reason residents of Greenwood have for voting against the merger. They would be paying for services provided to people who do not live within the city limits of their new community and pay nothing to support those services. Yes, I realize the tax is small but right now, any tax increase is too much in the current economy. Why should we pay for services of another community?

I also believe that this points to a problem with the reorganization plan in general. If the committee, which put thousands of hours worth the study into the plan, cannot come up with a plan that provides services only to those who pay for it what other problems lay buried inside the plan? Today’s Daily Journal reported that since the vote on the plan has been delayed until November the committee will provide updated financial information. I would like to see two things. First a resolution to this issue, make those who receive the services pay for them.

Second and far more important are the financial projections for five years down the road. The loss of a significant portion of the township to Bargersville will only have a minor impact in the short term but that area is the growth area. Bargersville has already announced plans to turn SR 144 into a commercial corridor, which no doubt would have happened had that area become part of Greenwood. That loss of future revenue has to affect the five and ten year revenue projections for the “new” Greenwood. Now that the committee has more time, let us see those numbers. I would not buy a car knowing only what it will cost me next year; I want to know what it will cost me as long as I am paying for it. We should expect nothing less from the reorganization plan.

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