Clermont to Discuss its Fate March 26

(posted Mar 14)

Residents can expect to receive flyers from the Clermont Town Council announcing its March 26 special meeting to explain the cost of operating the town. The meeting will be at Robey Elementary at 7 pm.

HB 1341, containing language to dissolve included towns by referendum, prompted Council President Bob Hinshaw to call for the meeting. He said it would be an educational meeting to explain what portion of the property tax dollars go to Clermont, schools and Marion County. Hinshaw thinks that if the public is educated about the cost of running the town, they would oppose dissolution if it ever came up for a vote.

Resident Linda Lucas wants State Representative Phil Hinkle available at the meeting since he authored the bill. She questioned Hinshaw's request for a special meeting during last month's council meeting, asking why the issue couldn't be discussed during a regular council meeting.

"I can't believe this is a problem." Hinshaw said. "If you don't to want learn, don't come to the meeting".

Hinshaw repeated that he wanted to be sure that people know the percentage of their real estate taxes going to Clermont. The town also receives gasoline, excise, lottery, airplane excise and financial institution taxes. "Right now Clermont gets a part of the that."

Hinshaw wanted a separate meeting. "This is not an argument. I want to give him (Hinkle) a chance to tell us why he introduced the bill since there is a law already on the books."

Leonard Bateson said it is unfair to expect the taxpayers to know their tax bills when the council doesn't know the town boundaries. "They don't carry that information around with them all of the time."

He was referring to the town's inadverent repair of 30th Street, a DPW road. The DPW reimbursed the town with $6,600 and road salt.

Bateson thought if the town would be dissolved it would end the double tax that supports both the Indianapolis Fire Department and Clermont's contract with Wayne Township Fire Department.

Town Attorney Bob Lutz said that the General Assembly created the situation by allowing COIT to be used for public safety. "If the Town of Clermont went away you would continue to be double taxed." The IFD fire rate is 28 cents per $100 in assessment value, while the Wayne Township Fire rate is 73 cents.

The increase in the fire contract from $80,000 to $358,000 within two years has always been a point of concern among taxpayers that led to a discussion last year about dissolving the town.

Lutz said the council could not find an alternative fire service provider. He said Clermont residents should have been at the Wayne Township Board meetings complaining about the cost of fire service, not with the town council.

Regardless if there is a town or not, residents will still have to pay for fire service.

Clerk-Treasurer Cathy Arauco thinks that if the town is going to be dissolved it should be done internally by the town's residents. "This is not an outside issue," she said, referring to HB 1341.

Councilor Vonda Kiger believes it is only matter of time before Clermont is consolidated into Indianapolis.

The council voted to extend the current mowing contract instead of seeking new quotes. Kiger said she has done it for ten years and that she can't find anybody lower than $160.00 per week.