Indiana Township Association concerned with House bill to dissolve townships

By DANIELLE ZULKOSKY
WISH-TV | wishtv.com

The Indiana Township Association is against efforts to dissolve all Indiana townships.

Debbie Driskell, the executive director of the Indiana Township Association, said efforts to take away township governments will harm Hoosiers by taking away services.

Driskell

“You’re removing those that were elected further from the people,” Driskell said. “So, that’s actually diminishing democracy.”

Driskell said townships have been around for centuries to protect the poor and public safety.

“Originally, township trustees were called overseers of the poor in Indiana, and we did just that,” Driskell said. “Took care of the poor, and then over time, we evolved, and now, we offer life-saving services in fire protection and EMS services.”

Townships can offer rental and mortgage assistance to residents and provide services for the homeless.

“It’s the trustee that gets our homeless folks off the street and sheltered,” Driskell said. “But, at any rate, a family can come in and make an application to have help with their rent.”

Driskell said this bill does not say which agency, if any, would be responsible for those services. The county emergency management director would manage fire and EMS services.

“That’s a big job to lay on top of a department that is already charged with some pretty important duties,” Driskell said.

Driskell said fire and EMS consolidation can be more expensive in the long run despite the effort to make government more efficient.

The bill was referred to the Committee of Local Government. It has not been heard yet.

This story was originally published by WISH-TV at wishtv.com/news/politics/indiana-township-association-concerned-with-bill-to-dissolve-townships.