Policy Issues

• Public meetings should be between 6-9 p.m.

  Citizens are the primary customers of government and, as such, business should be conducted at a time when citizens can attend meetings. Meetings held when most citizens will be unable to attend give the impression, whether warranted or not, of secrecy and a lack of respect for public input. Holding meetings between the hours of 6-9 p.m. on weekdays will increase the accessibility of government to its customers. Boards covered include any city council, redevelopment commissions, county council, county commissioners, township boards, school and library boards, as well as other committees and boards that set policy, have taxing authority, or spend taxpayer funds.

• Videos of public meetings should be available online

  Transparency and accessibility are both key components in earning the public trust.  In today’s digital world all government functions should be presented online. For example, a fully interactive live stream or uploading a video recording of the meeting. There are many inexpensive options to allow citizens the opportunity to see and hear what is being discussed in their local government meetings. Such tools greatly increase the communication between government agencies and the citizens they serve.

• Publish meeting agenda and announcements prior to meeting

  Communication with the public is paramount to better government. Agendas and announcements should be published for all public meetings at least 48 hours before the meeting, and before any deadline to register to speak at the meeting. Agendas and announcements should be published electronically, and printed copies should also be posted and be easily accessible at a designated public location prior to any public meeting. The more time citizens have to review it prior to the meeting the better, but 48 hours’ notice should be considered a “minimum requirement”.

• Publish searchable electronic documents

  Posting scanned images of documents online is not the same as being accessible to the citizens. Those documents should be neatly filed and categorized so that the average citizen can find the information for which they are interested in a timely fashion and with relative ease. Use of keywords and categories is ideal but making the text of all documents fully searchable would also be beneficial.  Some categorical examples include, but are not limited to; government entity, date/time, specific project, funding source, or type of expense. Properly filing and referencing these documents is more customer friendly to the citizens and allows government officials to be more informed when making important decisions.

• Make electronic services and websites fully functional

  The primary form of communication for many people is now digital. The functionality of digital media outlets should be given a high priority. Failure in these systems is a failure in communication with the citizens served by that agency and should be addressed immediately and with urgency. Broken links or incomplete websites show apathy towards communications with the public and displays poor customer service.

• Offer electronic opt-in services

  Modern technology provides opportunities to distribute information via opt-in services – email, text, social media, and more. Citizens should be able to sign up to receive all minutes, agendas, reports, etc. through multiple means of distribution. This is a simple, inexpensive, and easy way to put the business of the people in front of the people.

• Set a higher standard for accessibility

  Every government agency should have a website that includes all relevant information about that agency including, but not limited to: Scope and purpose of the agency, contact information for all elected or appointed officials, list of government employees and their positions, meeting times and locations, meeting minutes, meeting agendas, project plans and/or details, budgets, current debts, and any other relevant information.

  Government agencies should also explore social media options to better communicate with the citizens. These outlets would greatly aid in promoting meeting times, topics, disseminating important information to the public, or soliciting feedback and other information from the public.

  Agencies should not only be brought into compliance with Indiana’s Open-Door laws but should pursue the spirit behind it. Ensuring citizens have access to their government offices via extended or weekend hours and posting public notices in an area visible even when offices are closed are just a couple of examples of what we can do to better serve the community.

  Better government moves beyond the legally required minimum

• Provide plain-language budget summaries

  Citizens should not need to be a certified public accountant to understand public budgets. They should be written in plain language. Clear, real-world examples should be provided so that the average person or government representative can understand where their tax dollars are going.

• Implement zero-based budgeting

  Budget line items should not continue in perpetuity, regardless of whether the item continues to be relevant. Each year’s budget should start from $0, and each item must be considered for its own merits. Funding something at the same level, just because it has always been done that way, is not fiscally responsible nor does it make practical sense.

• Present project Summaries

  Taxpayers deserve to see the justification for any new spending for a large project. Taxpayer funded projects are often approved with the promise of specific results. A project summary will help ensure those projects achieve their stated goals. Projects that should be measured for effectiveness include, but are not limited to:

  • Projects that cost $100,000 or more
  • Any project that is funded by borrowed or bonded money
  • Results for tax abatements
  • Any project using Tax Increment Financing
  • Projects spending grants from other government entities

  All project summaries should be posted on digital and physical bulletin boards, distributed via opt-in services, on the website, and on social media. Creating and distributing these reports not only shows the value of these projects to citizens but will aid officials in future decisions by seeing the performance of past projects.

• Comply with Indiana’s Open-Door Law

  Agencies should be brought into compliance with Indiana’s Open-Door laws and should pursue the spirit behind it. Websites should include a link to the Handbook on Indiana’s Public Access Laws, plus the phone number and email of the State Public Access Counselor. While some information does have confidentiality requirements, as in the case of executive sessions, every effort should be made to advise the public what the general purpose of those meetings are.

• Encourage public education and participation in public meetings

  It is a blight on our system that many citizens feel unwelcome, confused, or unheard by their local officials. Government must make the effort to help citizens feel included, important, and empowered. This can be accomplished by doing a few simple things:

  • Publish the rules of order on your website and other media outlets so that citizens can familiarize themselves with how business is conducted before bringing an issue or concern before the agency.
  • There should be multiple times set aside for public comment during a meeting, preferably at the beginning and again at the end.
  • When voting on measures time should be taken to explain, in layman’s terms, the nature of the vote. Some actions require approval from multiple agencies, that should also be explained at the time of the vote. Any action taken by a government body should be explained well enough that citizens know what to expect next.
  • Copies of resolutions or ordinances being voted on should be made readily available to the public for review prior to the vote and time allotted for public comment about those items.
• Innovation

  Many government agencies have not kept up with the times. While most private sector agencies have long since moved to better more efficient practices, government agencies are still doing things the old-fashioned way. We believe there are opportunities for improvement here that will not only save money in the long run but allow our government employees to be more efficient and productive.

• Fiscal Sanity and Lower Taxes

  Morgan County currently has the 7th lowest property taxes in the state (avg of 0.5%), but that is offset by having the 4th highest income tax rate in the state (2.72%). Taxes come down when spending comes down.

• Elimination of Property Taxes on Primary Residences

  Currently homeowners can file for a “Homestead Credit” on their primary residence reducing the amount of property taxes owed on the home they own and reside in. We think that should be changed to a homestead exemption, ensuring that once people own their homes, they don’t have to keep paying the government to keep it.

• Elimination of Personal Property Taxes

  Personal property taxes have been eliminated on intangible property like stocks and bonds, household goods such as furniture, on vehicles including cars and planes and boats, and, most recently, on inventory. The only remaining category of personal property taxed by the state: business personal property

  These taxes require businesses to maintain an inventory and current estimated value of business equipment. The compliance process is unduly burdensome. Additionally, if the cost of the equipment is high enough, some equipment can qualify for an abatement of this tax, while other purchases do not qualify.

  We support eliminating this tax entirely so businesses do not have this burden simply for doing business in Indiana.