FISHERS: The two questions

On the November 6 general election ballot, Fishers residents will be asked two questions that will determine Fishers' form of government.

 

The questions will appear on the ballot as follows:

1. "Shall the Town of Fishers and Fall Creek Township reorganize as a single political subdivision?" (all voters in Fall Creek Township and all incorporated voters in Delaware Township will be able to vote on this question)
2. "Shall the Town of Fishers change into a city?" (only incorporated voters in the Town of Fishers will be able to vote on this question)

The following table shows which form of government you are selecting by how you vote on questions 1 & 2:

 

Question 1	Question 2	Outcome
No	Yes	Second Class City
Yes	Yes	Reorganized City
Yes	No	Reorganized City
No	No	Remains a Town

(the above was borrowed from the Town of Fishers website, http://www.fishers.in.us/futureoffishers/)

Question No. 2 is the one that 1700 registered voters in Fishers petitioned for in May 2010, before the push to move to a "reorganization" even started, at the behest of Fishers Town Council President Scott Faultless.  Faultless sat on the "city vs town" question until the reorganization process was done, despite the fact that the pro-city petitioners asked for a vote in the November 2010 election.  

In the reorganization committee, a majority of the Fall Creek Township members voted against it.  So why is this even being considered?  Because a lame-duck meeting of the former Fall Creek Township Board, with a pro-Faultless majority, adopted it as literally their last act in December 2010.

Notwithstanding THAT, the new Township Board, with Renee Cox as President, adopted a new resolution in July 2011 backing out of the reorganization.  But the county Election Board proposes to put the reorganization question on the ballot anyway.  

This is pretty much a "shotgun wedding", with the elected representatives of Fall Creek saying they want no part of it.  There are no advantages to the merger.  This annexes all of Fall Creek Township (the part actually in Noblesville creates some problems), raises taxes, KILLS THE RIGHT TO VOTE FOR A MAYOR, prevents real district voting for the council, and pretty much locks this in place for the indefinite future.

But good for the Fall Creek Township Board.  They have asked the County Election Board to hear their protest that the reorganization should not be on the ballot without their approval.  The Election Board will hear this TOMORROW MORNING, Thursday, August 30, 2012, at 8:00 a.m., in the Government Center in Noblesville.  The public is welcome.

Want to elect your Mayor?  If this reorganization stays on the ballot, you will have to vote NO and then YES.  Complicated?  Yes.  IT WAS DONE ON PURPOSE TO CONFUSE THE VOTERS and to block real representative government in Fishers.  That would disturb the ruling majority on the council too much.  

Want to help elect a Mayor?  Show up at the Election Board meeting.  Go to the CityYes website, www.CityYes.org, and sign up to help, or email them at info@CityYes.org.  Give a donation for expenses such as signs and handouts.  Host a neighborhood meeting with CityYes representatives.  Stand at a polling place on November 6th and pass out handouts.

Don't live in Fishers, but you believe in representative government?  Your help will be appreciated as well.