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Dear Editor:
In the June 18, 2021, Indianapolis Business Journal (IBJ), a story about a possible domestic violence (DV) shelter being built in Hamilton County included some comments from Hamilton County Commissioner Heirbrandt that were disingenuous. He stated that the County Commissioners had been “pushing this for a long time” and “Finally we’ve got some council members that realize the importance of this. Now, we have a council that is interested in getting this thing and taking it to the next step.”
Really, Mark? If this isn’t revisionist history at its best, then I don’t know what else you could call it.
I can speak to this topic better than any other County Council member, past or present, because I was Council President in 2014 when I met with Carmel-Clay Trustee Doug Callaghan, Commissioner Altman and a representative of United Way to discuss setting up a DV shelter. Doug offered $500,000 to get the shelter built and the United Way person indicated there was an anonymous donor who would match gifts up to $2 million.
When Commissioner Altman asked my opinion of how the County Council would respond, I indicated I believed the Council would support a $2 million Capital Contribution towards a building.
Until this year, the County Council has always operated under the philosophy of not originating spending but acting on requests from the Commissioners and county departments. This is how a fiduciary should operate; otherwise, their integrity is compromised and there is no limit to the spending, as each member may advance their “passion,” i.e., favorite subject to receive funding.
So in 2014, the Commissioners needed to be the party initiating the request for the $2 million. Unfortunately, the Commissioners had an internal spat among themselves regarding the location of the facility, so nothing was started. In 2015, the Commissioners refused to continue paying Alternatives, the DV shelter in Madison County where Hamilton County residents were being referred, and to which they still are in 2021.
Why did the Commissioners make this decision? Because a Hamilton County Commissioner didn’t like how much salary the head of Alternatives was making.
The last contract Alternatives had with Hamilton County was in 2014 for $50,000. Since then, the taxpayers of Madison County and the State of Indiana have been paying for Hamilton County’s DV victims sent to Alternatives.
Maybe the County Commissioners haven’t been in a hurry to establish a DV shelter in Hamilton County because they enjoy getting something for free?
I brought up the topic of a DV shelter again during a joint candidate debate in the 2016 Republican Primary, at which Heirbrandt echoed his support to get a shelter established.
Nothing has happened since because the Commissioners have been occupied with other areas/projects and a DV shelter was not among their key items. The progressives on the County Council, especially those in their first term, need to realize they shouldn’t step in front of the Commissioners despite their good intentions.
I think it is a move in the right direction to start planning a facility within Hamilton County, but let’s keep the facts straight and not attempt a coverup of the Commissioners’ lack of past interest and action on this topic.
Rick McKinney
Westfield