Cook criticizes coverage of Sheridan reorganization meeting

Letters to the Editor do not reflect the opinions of The Reporter, its publisher or its staff. You can submit your own Letter to the Editor by email to News@ReadTheReporter.com. Please include your phone number and city of residence. The Reporter will publish one letter per person per week.

---

Dear Editor:

After reading WISH-TV contributors, Adam Pinsker and Ashley Fowler’s, article titled “Sheridan prepares for vote about town’s future,” on the front page of the Sept. 21 edition of the Hamilton County Reporter, I found myself disappointed, confused, and even a little angry.

I attended the meeting. The content of the article is accurate. However, much more information came out of that evening at Sheridan Middle School than was reported.

You see, Sheridan and Adams Township leadership held a public meeting immediately following the forum of County officials. This meeting was well advertised and everyone in attendance knew it was scheduled. I am disappointed that the Sheridan/Adams Township meeting was neither covered by the Reporter, nor their WISH-TV contributors, nor attended by County Officials, but for one standing at the back of the room.

During the County meeting Commissioner Christine Altman stated that the Sheridan/Adams Township Reorganization budget included current cash balances from both entities and that the reorganized community would be out of money by 2026.

County Officials informed those present that the budget for police services was underfunded by approximately five hundred thousand dollars and that the plan for street and road maintenance was underfunded, understaffed, and ill-equipped.

Commissioner Altman repeated several times that she was using cursory numbers submitted through The Indiana Gateway for Government Units and has not seen all the numbers that were used for the proposed budget.

During the Sheridan/Adams Township meeting the Committee’s financial advisor, Jim Higgins, London Witte Group, informed the community that the Commissioner’s statements regarding the budget were inaccurate. He gave a high-level overview of the budget that was submitted to the Department of Local Government Finance and explained and proved that cash balances were not used to support it.

He added that the County estimates for police and road services did not consider that Sheridan already has these departments therefore, in the event of reorganization, they would just be added to, not built from the ground up.

Commissioner Dillinger stated that if the community reorganized, they would lose federal grant money intended for Township road improvements. Someone asked if the County uses federal funding in any of the other cities or towns in Hamilton County for roads and streets. The panel sidestepped this answer by stating that there have been occasions where local County funds have been used to partner with other communities but the question regarding federal funds went unanswered. During the Town/Township meeting officials reported that the Town reached out to the Indiana Department of Transportation and was advised that Hamilton County is contracted and is expected to fulfill their contracted obligations.

It is true that Westfield Mayor, Scott Willis stated that he has no intention of annexing into Adams Township. Someone asked what he meant when, on Sept. 13, 2023, he publicly stated that Westfield “will not be confined by borders but will grow to the North until “Sheridan gets their act together, all the way to the Boone County line.” He replied that he cannot recall everything he said a year ago, but he fully expects the City of Westfield to expand to all borders of Westfield Washington Township and he did not know why he would comment about Sheridan.

Several members of the community expressed frustration saying that the Commissioners do not listen to them, treat them like they are unintelligent, and talk down to them. All three Commissioners expressed that this was not their intention. Moments later Commissioner Heirbrandt commented, “I’ll tell you all just like I tell my children. I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what you want.” Hmmm?

It seemed to me that the community was trying to tell the Commissioners what they want. I’m confused. If the Commissioners genuinely wanted to hear them and receive all the facts and the “numbers,” why didn’t they stay for the Sheridan/Adams Township meeting? Furthermore, why didn’t the Reporter(s) cover it?

I do not live in the Sheridan/Adams community but as a resident of northern Hamilton County I share the same concerns, and I have been paying attention.

This meeting seemed like nothing more than another attempt on the part of the County to drop their propaganda and agenda on the residents and then get out of town. Yes, another.

Robyn Cook
Arcadia