Townships Hoard $200 Million

A study by the Indianapolis Star reveals that townships collectively across the state have stashed more than $200 million in taxpayer money. Topping that list, not surprisingly, is Center Township with a reserve of over $10 million. "Marion County's Center Township, for example, started this year with a reserve of nearly $10 million, the largest in the state. But it hasn't lowered property taxes," the Star writes. Center Township Trustee Carl Drummer recently announced he is resigning his job to become a lobbyist for the state's largest law firm, Ice Miller, the same firm that has been paid hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars to provide legal representation to the township.

Naturally, Drummer was unavailable for comment to the Star on his excessive reserves. The Star was able, however, to obtain a laughable quote from Marion County Democratic Chairman Ed Treacy. "People may have been wondering about that money," Treacy said. "But a lot of people may be happy that that money is there to serve people that really are going to be in desperate need for services." Yeah, like that's the reason Drummer has been hoarding that money.

Of the more than $200 million held in reserves, the Star found that at least $50 million had been specifically raised through taxes to pay for services to the poor. "The growing bankrolls are fueled, at least in part, by a system that encourages townships to collect the maximum amount of property taxes allowable every year, regardless of need," the Star says. "If townships don't raise the maximum, the amounts they can raise in following years are reduced." In some cases, townships had more than ten times the size of their annual budget in reserves.

Remember, townships are nothing but cesspools of political patronage and public graft. Party bosses bar people who believe in honest and open government from serving in township offices. It's time to adopt the recommendation of the Kernan-Shepard Commission and abolish township government.