Published: June 25, 2008 04:05 pm      

Stage set for reorganization approval

The Zionsville Town Council and Eagle and Union Township boards are one step away from approving the government reorganization plan and putting it on the ballot in November. The reorganization plan would merge Union and Eagle townships with Zionsville.

Since Friday, June 13, each governing entity has passed the second reading of the resolution, and will vote on whether to approve it at its next meeting. The resolution must be approved by Aug. 1 to be on the ballot in November, where a majority of voters in each area will have an opportunity to vote on the issue. If approved, the reorganization plan would become effective in January 2010.

The Zionsville Town Council will meet next on July 7; Eagle Township will meet July 9, and Union Township will meet on July 17. Each governing body will hold a public hearing at its meeting to answer questions and discuss the plan before a vote is cast.

Both the town council and Eagle Township decided unanimously at its last meeting to send the resolution to a final approval vote at its next meeting. Union Township approved it 2-1, with member Jim Sanford dissenting, Thursday, June 19. Sanford cited a lack of representation for citizens within Union Township. Sanford wants a reorganization plan for Zionsville, but he wants to make it “more pliable to sell it to Union.”

Under the new plan, the Town of Zionsville would be made up of five districts, with population dictating the size of each. Each district would vote for a town council representative, and there would be two at-large candidates, making it a seven-member board. Union Township fits within only one district, while the current Eagle Township and Zionsville make up much of the remaining four districts.

Under the new plan, however, the Zionsville Plan Commission and the Board of Zoning Appeals would both have three members from each township. These boards currently consist of Zionsville citizens appointed by the town council.

The Zionsville Planning Department would have planning and zoning control over the whole area. In the unincorporated portions of Eagle Township and all of Union Township, the county currently has planning and zoning power.

Eagle Township board member Rob Schein reflected his board’s view that while the plan has its kinks, Zionsville must act now or else unincorporated parts of the town could be annexed by Whitestown or Westfield.

“Change is scary but it is inevitable, and we have to take advantage of this opportunity,” Schein said. “A few years from now, we’re going to say ‘I’m glad we did this.’”

A reorganized Zionsville would be split into two separate districts — rural and urban — with different tax rates and service levels. Each district would keep about the same services and tax rate as before the reorganization. The Boone County Sheriff and Highway departments would serve the rural district, with the Zionsville Police and Street departments serving the urban district.

While the town council moved the resolution through the second reading unanimously, Councilman David Carr would like to hear more discussion before a decision is reached. He said he has concerns over the reorganization creating “two classes of citizens” in the same town. He wants equality for all Zionsville citizens.