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The Silas DoGood Chronicles:
How Your Government Works
HOW YOUR GOVERNMENT WORKS
By Silas DoGood
THE ZIONSVILLE TOWN COUNCIL
The Town Council is the governing body for the Town of Zionsville. To begin, the following points will clarify some things:
- The incorporated Town of Zionsville has borders that do not include all of Eagle Township or Union Township.
- For the past several years, there has been substantial growth in housing subdivisions (e.g., north and west of town) that are not within the incorporated town borders.
- The Zionsville school system serves these subdivisions because it serves all of Eagle and Union Townships. For example, children living in Stonegate, Willow Ridge, and Royal Run can attend Zionsville schools, but Stonegate, Willow Ridge, and Royal Run are not in the "town" limits.
- Such subdivisions are not under the jurisdiction of the Town Council, nor do they utilize (or pay fees to) the Zionsville Sewage treatment plant, etc.
- As you may have noticed, a large part of property tax goes to support the school system, which has struggled to keep up with the population increase in the Zionsville area.
- There is serious deliberation going on about expanding/restructuring the incorporated town borders to encompass more area, probably all of Eagle and Union Townships.
What is the Town Council? It is the legislative and policy making body for the Town of Zionsville. The day-to-day operations of the town government are conducted by the Town Manager and other employees. These include full-time employees, part-time employees, appointed employees, and some other elected employees (e.g. the Clerk/Treasurer).
Make-up of the Council: Not surprisingly, state statute dictates this. The Council has five members. (Yes, there used to be three, and yes, there might some day be seven). The Clerk/Treasurer can be seen sitting with the Council at their public meetings. This person serves the Council, but does not vote on issues, unless there is a tie. If so, the Clerk/Treasurer casts the tie-breaking vote.
How are members determined? They are elected to four-year terms. The Town is composed of five geographic districts (no fancy names - they are numbered one through five). In Zionsville, all the voters can vote for all seats, although the Council member must live within the district he or she represents. Legally, there are other options. For example, it could be set up so that people only vote for the representative of their district.
Other details: The Council elects their own president each January; they could pass the honor/duty around each year if they so chose, although that has not usually been the case. There are no term limits.
The Council members serve on various boards and they appoint people to boards. Some statutes read that the "executive" makes the appointment - this would be the Council president; and some read that the Council as a whole makes the appointment.
When does the Council meet? Town Council meetings are held on the first Monday evening of each month, at the Town Hall. The meetings are open to the public. Being on the Council will keep a member much busier than attending twelve meetings. For example, before every meeting, there is an agenda meeting; there are also supervisors meetings. In addition, three members of the Council serve on the Safety Board, and at least one may serve on the Plan Commission, etc. A Council member might very well attend 40-50 meetings a year, and spend a substantial amount of additional time studying/researching/tending to town business and issues.
Is there pay? Yes, there is a stipend. A Council member receives $5000 per year, and the president receives an additional $5000.
Side Notes from Silas: It takes a true public servant to be a good Council member. Occasionally the question is asked about changing the government to include a mayor - could that happen? Yes, but it would take a major restructuring of the government. For one thing, Zionsville would have to change its status from a "town" to a "city" - which it could do. Should the mayor be a true chief executive, or mainly a PR specialist? There would be a reallocation of duties across the executive branch, a change in elected positions, the reporting chain, etc.
Meanwhile, show your civic interest by attending a Town Council meeting! The new Council has a huge responsibility to make the right decisions as Zionsville faces the future.
