With Home Place now annexed by Carmel effective Jan. 1, Carmel will move to merge city and township government since the entire township will comprise city territory.
The merger will eliminate the township as a political entity. It will require approval by voters in a citywide referendum. That referendum could come as early as November of 2018, although Township Trustee Doug Callahan says it is more likely in 2020.
Placing a referendum on the ballot will require a joint resolution by the Carmel City Council and the Clay Township Board asking the county election board to make arrangements for the balloting.
If voters approve, the administration of Mayor Jim Brainard will achieve what has been sought for several years; a township-wide city comprised of just over 50 square miles with a population of around 95,000.
Whether Carmel will inherit all of the township’s assets and liabilities remains a question. The township has several million dollars in reserve plus various fire department properties and equipment. But, the township also sold bonds of more than $50 million several years ago to finance the award-winning Central Park and Monon Center.
With a merger, the city will take complete control of the park system, now a joint operation, as well as the fire department, and become responsible for poor relief and cemetery maintenance.
Although allowed by state law, there have been very few mergers of city and township governments. Marion County still retains township governments despite the fact that Unigov spreads through all nine townships.
Home Place, whose residents decided last week to not continue a 12-year legal fight against annexation, was the last portion of Clay Township not incorporated by Carmel. Home Place, centered at 106th Street and College Avenue, has just under 5,000 residents living in a two-square-mile area.