allen county government

Allen County Government

An Insider’s Look at County Government

History of County Government

• 1851 Charter

• Developed as part of the Indiana Constitution

• Creates four branches of government– Executive– Legislative– Judicial– Fiscal


• Creates Constitutional Offices (Defined by term limitations)– Auditor– Treasurer– Clerk– Sheriff– Recorder– Coroner– Surveyor (Constitutional but not defined by term

limits)


• Creates Non-Constitutional Offices (Established by state statute)– 3 Commissioners (elected from districts on

an at-Large basis)– Assessor – Township Assessors– County Council ( 4 elected by district, 3 at-

Large)– Prosecutor

Bad News

• Increasing Public Safety costs– Prosecution of criminals (Cost?)– Superior and Circuit Court– Sheriff’s Department– Jail– Probation

• Costs have gone from 40% of budget in 1991 to 69% in 2008.

Financial = $5,193,591Misc. Services = $5,844,506Operations = $15,529,401Law Enforcement/Judicial = $58,560,287Total 2008 Budget = $85,127,785

2008 General Fund Budget

• Amount collected in taxes doesn’t even cover amount necessary to fund public safety.

2008 General Fund Revenue Estimate

Bad News

• Outside of Public Safety, counties are responsible for much more than other governing entities:– Child Welfare (budget numbers)– Bridges– Assessments– County Roads

Bad News

• Annexations– Street miles lost (Aboite Annexation)– CEDIT and COIT dollars lost– Population/Services provided by the county

don’t decrease• Jail• Prosecutions• Roads to plow

– Move to distribution of revenues based on services provided?

Good News

• Professionalism of Elected Officials & Department Heads

• Progressive County Council• Strong legislative delegation• Development of best practices

– Strategic Planning– Regionalizing efforts– Collaborative purchasing– Integrating services where it makes sense

Good News

Who is spending?

Future of County Government

• Unlikely; total consolidation• Likely; consolidation of functions;

– Homeland Security– Land Use Planning– Human Resources– Information Technology– 911– Highway/Streets– Parks


• Consolidation of Areas where economies of scale will dictate savings– Health Clinics– Health Savings Accounts– Early retirement options– Worker’s Compensation– Health Insurance– General Liability Insurance– Fuel Costs– Postage


• Legislative initiatives– HEA 1362 (Government Reorganization; 2006)– HEA 1478 (Property Taxes; 2007)– HB 1001 (Budget Bill; 2008)– SB 17 (Tax Incremental Financing)– SB 18 (Limitations on debt)

• The Fix– Allow budget increases of no more than a factor of the

current budget X increase in population X increase in CPI.


• Government Efficiencies Study Group

• Blue Ribbon Committee– Recommendations


• What’s on the radar?– Fort-to-Port– Maplecrest Road– Sheriff’s Regional Training Academy– Community Corrections Building– Shovel Ready Sites– Partnerships with City government

allen county government

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