Allen county government

Allen County Government An Insider’s Look at County Government

History of County Government
1851 Charter
Developed as part of the Indiana Constitution
Creates four branches of government
Executive
Legislative
Judicial
Fiscal

Creates Constitutional Offices (Defined by term limitations)
Auditor
Treasurer
Clerk
Sheriff
Recorder
Coroner
Surveyor (Constitutional but not defined by term limits)

Creates Non-Constitutional Offices (Established by state statute)
3 Commissioners (elected from districts on an at-Large basis)
Assessor
Township Assessors
County Council ( 4 elected by district, 3 at-Large)
Prosecutor

Bad News
Increasing Public Safety costs
Prosecution of criminals (Cost?)
Superior and Circuit Court
Sheriff’s Department
Jail
Probation
Costs have gone from 40% of budget in 1991 to 69% in 2008.

Financial = $5,193,591 Misc. Services = $5,844,506 Operations = $15,529,401 Law Enforcement/Judicial = $58,560,287 Total 2008 Budget = $85,127,785 2008 General Fund Budget

Amount collected in taxes doesn’t even cover amount necessary to fund public safety.
2008 General Fund Revenue Estimate

Bad News
Outside of Public Safety, counties are responsible for much more than other governing entities:
Child Welfare (budget numbers)
Bridges
Assessments
County Roads

Bad News
Annexations
Street miles lost (Aboite Annexation)
CEDIT and COIT dollars lost
Population/Services provided by the county don’t decrease
Jail
Prosecutions
Roads to plow
Move to distribution of revenues based on services provided?

Good News
Professionalism of Elected Officials & Department Heads
Progressive County Council
Strong legislative delegation
Development of best practices
Strategic Planning
Regionalizing efforts
Collaborative purchasing
Integrating services where it makes sense

Good News Who is spending?

Future of County Government
Unlikely; total consolidation
Likely; consolidation of functions;
Homeland Security
Land Use Planning
Human Resources
Information Technology
911
Highway/Streets
Parks

Consolidation of Areas where economies of scale will dictate savings
Health Clinics
Health Savings Accounts
Early retirement options
Worker’s Compensation
Health Insurance
General Liability Insurance
Fuel Costs
Postage

Legislative initiatives
HEA 1362 (Government Reorganization; 2006)
HEA 1478 (Property Taxes; 2007)
HB 1001 (Budget Bill; 2008)
SB 17 (Tax Incremental Financing)
SB 18 (Limitations on debt)
The Fix
Allow budget increases of no more than a factor of the current budget X increase in population X increase in CPI.

Government Efficiencies Study Group
Blue Ribbon Committee
Recommendations

What’s on the radar?
Fort-to-Port
Maplecrest Road
Sheriff’s Regional Training Academy
Community Corrections Building
Shovel Ready Sites
Partnerships with City government

Allen county government

by votenelsonpeters

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