One of the most misunderstood areas of local government revolves around the concept of economic development. Residents seem to believe that their town (or county) council is in charge of deciding which restaurants, stores, and other employers will open their doors locally. It’s as though they believe there’s a menu local officials order from. “Yes, … Read more
I’ve got a great idea for reducing your property taxes. We’ll just get rid of your community’s school buses. We won’t have to buy any more of those overpriced things, we won’t have to pay drivers and mechanics, and we won’t have to buy all that fuel that just keeps getting more expensive. Seems like … Read more
It’s a commonly repeated myth that makes me cringe every time I hear it. Interestingly, I’ve never heard it from people who define themselves as liberals or moderates – only from those who insist they’re “strong” conservatives. They’ll claim that local governments like school boards and town councils are so stinking greedy and foolish that … Read more
Across my 23 years as an elected school board member, noting bemused me more than the people who’d say, “Well, the school board thinks …” Because, you see, school boards don’t think. Their members do. And while the popular perception is that board members think and act in lockstep, nothing could be further from the … Read more
If you believe the state and federal government should be teaching local school board members a thing or two, I’d love to share a cautionary tale. It’s one you’ve probably never heard and I wouldn’t blame you if you doubted its veracity … but if you research it, you’ll find I’m sharing the plain truth. … Read more
(From early 2025.) Our friends in the Statehouse are in their budget session with a brand-new Governor who won an election in which the perceived excess of property taxes was a key issue. I say the perceived excess because despite what most Hoosiers believe, Indiana’s property taxes are far below what folks in most other … Read more
You never forget your first fender-bender. For a pair of teenage drivers, theirs happened in the high school parking lot before the bell. One became “a little shook up,” as people say. Just to be on the safe side, the police officer requested an ambulance for a checkout, and the school’s office immediately notified their … Read more
Every time a town’s social media includes a post about a planned roundabout, the comments section produces a collection of entirely predictable answers from critics. That includes my favorite: “Why are we building roundabouts when out East, they’re eliminating them?!” No, they’re not. It’s a common myth that’s rooted in the elimination of a different … Read more
As I hinted in my last column, the complexity of religion and school law is mind-boggling. For instance: a high school commencement ceremony is an official event of a governmental body. Is it legal if a student such as a valedictorian includes a prayer in their speech at that event? Easy answer: the student’s First … Read more
Every few years, property taxes shove their way to the front of Hoosiers’ buckets of concerns. The General Assembly generally responds with some kind of fix, and the yelling becomes quiet grumbling until the next surge. In 2008, responding to an outcry largely inspired by pricey high school football stadiums in Carmel and Franklin Township, … Read more