VANDERBURGH CO., IN (WFIE) -
The Fraternal Order of Police is taking sides on the proposed merger of Evansville and Vanderburgh County government.
The FOP is against the consolidation plan on the November ballot.
The signs are out, backing up the FOP's official stance. They want voters to say 'no' to reorganization.
C.O.R.E. members have been meeting at the FOP lodge for weeks, and now the FOP is publicly voicing its support for the Citizens Opposed to Reorganization in Evansville.
"The plan itself we don't agree with," said FOP Treasurer Chuck Knoll.
Knoll says their issues with reorganization start with the petition that got it on the November ballot in the first place.
"To me, it really taints this whole process. Whether it wins or loses, it started with a bad step."
Another issue the FOP has with the merger is the possibility, at least a decade down the road, of combining EPD and the Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Office.
"We've looked at Indy, Louisville, Nashville. The cost is going to be in the millions of dollars by equalizing pensions, insurance wage structure. Millions of dollars," Knoll said.
"I would say that's untrue," said Vanderburgh County Sheriff Eric Williams. "I've not seen where a plan to merge the VCSC and the EPD has to cost millions of dollars."
The FOP's stance is not a surprise to Sheriff Williams.
"I think we're going to just have to agree to disagree," he said.
he's been very public about his view-- that creating one unified government is the way to go.
As we now inch closer to election day, the FOP is hoping for a repeat of what happened in the 70's. the last time a merger was on the ballot, and was soundly voted down.
"We're not overconfident, but I don't see it passing," Knoll said.
"Right now, I'm optimistic," Williams said. "I think that it's probably a lot closer than anybody thinks. And I think the momentum is going towards the yes side."
14 NEWS UPDATE:
In response to the Fraternal Order of Police's opposition to the Vanderburgh County reorganization. The group Yes For Unification released this statement:
The Fraternal Order of Police's political action committee has long opposed attempts to streamline government through consolidation, and their statement released Thursday reaffirming that position should come as no surprise. In fact, the group organized to oppose the referendum has for weeks been meeting at FOP headquarters.
While the FOP's political action committee has taken this stance for quite some time, its full membership is made up of hundreds of members with very diverse views and opinions. Sheriff Eric Williams, the community's top law enforcement officer, has consistently extolled the benefits of the plan. "Unification is a fantastic tool for our community to use when it comes to new business recruitment, job creation, and youth retention. What's good for Evansville is good for the FOP."
Notably, the Plan of Reorganization does not affect the separate functions of the police and sheriff's department. While the plan does unify many aspects of local government, the police and sheriff's department will continue just as they are today. The plan also keeps the city boundary as a service district so that taxes, including taxes for law enforcement, aren't changed or impacted.
Mayor Lloyd Winnecke added, "I have great admiration for the FOP, but on this issue I respectfully disagree. Unification will reduce duplicative city and county services and offers the best chance to contain costs of local government over a long period of time. While I remain a staunch supporter of government unification, I must point out that the plan up for a vote in November includes language that specifically prevents the consolidation of the Evansville Police Department and the Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Office at least until after the 2024 election."
The Plan of Reorganization will merge city and county councils, as well as the executive branches. However, taxes, zoning, and law enforcement would remain separate according to current city and county boundaries.
If you would like more information about Yes For Unification click here.
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