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Dear Editor:
The power to choose their form of representative government rightfully belongs with the people of Adams Township. As elected representatives of Hamilton County, we want to ensure that the leaders and residents of both Sheridan and Adams Township receive the most accurate, realistic information in making that decision.
To that end, county commissioners and/or members of our staff have attended at least four Sheridan Reorganization Committee meetings, as well as recent meetings of the Sheridan Town Council and Adams Township Advisory Board. We have also emailed, called and in-person reached out to the Reorganization Committee multiple times to schedule further meetings to discuss the details of the proposal and the financial impacts. In May, we, the commissioners, sent a formal letter to the Committee requesting a public meeting, proposing a May 28 meeting date with all three commissioners, which was not granted.
Our primary concern is that the reorganization proposal does not account for several public safety and infrastructure costs. Hamilton County currently provides several services to unincorporated Adams Township, including policing and public safety, road maintenance and construction, and significant local funding matches for federal and state funding aid – particularly for infrastructure.
It is highly uncommon for the county to provide any of those services to a city or town. As such, we want to ensure the proposed new entity is equipped and adequately funded to take on these services for residents.
After conducting a third-party audit, the county estimates that at least $2.5 million in public safety and infrastructure costs are not reflected in the proposal. On top of that, there are four active and federally funded critical infrastructure projects scheduled for Adams Township that will need nearly $16 million in local funding matches to proceed.
The state Department of Local Government Finance (DLGF) recently issued a report that identifies several of these same financial questions and potential funding gaps, which can be read here.
We caution that without a full accounting of these costs, the proposal is likely under-projecting the new tax rates. This could result in either a reduction in services provided to the area or increased tax rates to residents, both of which could be significant.
We sent our most up-to-date cost projections and concerns in a recent letter to the Committee, as well as to the Sheridan Town Council and the Adams Township Advisory Board. At that time, we asked the Committee to table a vote so we could have more time to work together with the Committee to discuss costs and determine whether or not we can reach an interlocal agreement for the county to continue delivering some of these critical services.
Despite our repeated attempts, the Committee did not respond to requests for meetings to discuss the details or the potential of reaching an interlocal agreement for services.
For anyone to say the commissioners have not participated in this process is disingenuous and a disservice to residents. We stand ready to discuss the potential costs and tax and service impacts for residents with both the Committee and residents of Adams Township and the Town of Sheridan.
Our primary goal is to ensure the residents of Hamilton County live in a safe, prosperous, low-tax community that ensures the quality infrastructure and services they would expect. We will continue to work every day to do just that.
Christine Altman
Hamilton County Commissioner, District 1
Steve Dillinger
Hamilton County Commissioner, District 2
Mark Heirbrandt
Hamilton County Commissioner, District 3