Voters in eight of Marion County’s nine townships will decide Tuesday whether to transfer the job of assessing property from the township to the county level.
Township officials and their supporters are opposed to the shift, saying the consolidation of government leads to more bureaucracy and no proven savings. They also say they are most responsive to the public and know their neighborhoods best.
Republican Mayor Greg Ballard, former Democratic Mayor Bart Peterson and several business groups, joining forces this week to campaign in favor of the referendum, said that having a single official in charge of property assessment across the county will mean less duplication of government services and lead to more uniform and fairer assessments.
Marion County Assessor Greg Bowes has been using a real-life example to urge voters on Tuesday to mark “yes” on the first referendum question on their ballot, pointing to the case of Natasha Davis.