EVANSVILLE, IN (WFIE) -
Both sides in the contentious city-county merger campaign have been trying to sway voters on the referendum question, and on Monday night, the group 'Yes for Unification' brought in a mayor with a first-hand knowledge of government consolidation.
This is certainly a hot topic right now since the referendum will be on the November ballot.
Back in 1997, Kansas City and Wyandotte County tackled the same issue and voted to pass consolidation. The first mayor of that unified government was in Evansville to talk about the process and impact it continues to have on that region.
"Anytime you have the chance to hear somebody speak first hand about how they were affected by it, that's good information to hear," resident Chris Roe said.
Roe was one of several people who packed into the Yes for Unification's headquarters in downtown Evansville to hear from Carol Marinovich, a former mayor who has been there, done that.
"When you're looking at one group of elected officials all working together for the betterment of the city and the county, so much can happen," Marinovich said.
Marinovich says Evansville and Vanderburgh County's plan is similar to the one she helped implement in Kansas City. The mayor became the head of government, law enforcement did not merge, and any decrease in staffing due to duplication was done through attrition.
Marinovich said, "We had gone from a community that was losing thousands of people to a community, now where the population is stabilized and there's great economic growth in our community."
Taxes, she says, are lower now than they were before consolidation. She says only city dollars are used for city services, and county dollars used for county services like the jail and parks.
Plus, she says residents living in the smaller, outlying areas have more representation on the new governing body.
"It's unbelievable. I think it exceeded expectations that people had," Marinovich said.
Core 2012, a group against the consolidation of Evansville and Vanderburgh County says on its website that all things are not rosy in Kansas City. Core believes there's no evidence that a merger would make local government more efficient or that it would save taxpayers any money.
For more on CORE 2012, click here.
Both sides of this issue will be featured during a discussion Wednesday night.
Copyright 2012 WFIE. All rights reserved.
On Monday night, the group 'Yes for Unification' brought in a mayor with a first-hand knowledge of government consolidation.
