Last Thursday morning, Hamilton County Commissioners Christine Altman (District 1) and Mark Heirbrandt (District 3) joined dozens of northern Hamilton County residents and business and community leaders at Remnant Coffee Shop in Arcadia for a panel discussion on the proposed Sheridan-Adams Township reorganization and other updates around the county.
The free “Morning Brew with the County Commissioners” event was organized and hosted by OneZone Chamber of Commerce and moderated by OneZone President and CEO Jack Russell.
Commissioners Altman and Heirbrandt emphasized they are neither for nor against the proposed reorganization. Rather, they say they want to ensure residents of Sheridan and Adams Township – who will choose whether to reorganize or not – are fully informed prior to making their decision.
“Our number one priority is educating our residents and ensuring they have full information about the potential impacts of a Sheridan-Adams Township reorganization, especially from a financial perspective,” Heirbrandt said.
The commissioners say they have concerns about public safety and infrastructure funding, as well as the tax rates required to fund those programs and projects.
“At a minimum, we are concerned that the reorganization plan is incomplete, with significant funding gaps that do not account for several public safety and infrastructure costs currently provided by the county,” Altman said. “The projected tax rates do not account for these funding gaps, which could result in either a reduction in services provided or increased tax rates to residents – both of which could be significant.”
The Commissioners provided a one-sheet on the impact of reorganization. You can read it at tinyurl.com/SAreorgimpact.