Letter to the Editor: Fishers City vs. Town

With a population close to 80,000, Fishers is now twice as large as any other Indiana town, and bigger than all but a handful of Indiana cities. As a result, many of its citizens believe that Fishers should become a city. Why? One reason is that the law grants all city citizens the right to elect a mayor and directly elect a city council (as compared to the current town system, which permits “at large” elections and an appointed town council president).

So, almost one year ago, 1700 Fishers citizens filed a petition with the Town Council that, by law, required the Town to put the issue of city status up for a vote. How did the Town Council react?

First they refused to put the issue to a vote, claiming that they needed more time to study a possible “reorganization”. They then adopted a “reorganization plan” that creates a city but – surprise, surprise – eliminates your right to vote for a Mayor and to directly elect a city council. Instead, the reorganization plan says that Fishers’ new mayor will be appointed by the city council and not by the voters of the City of Fishers. And who is on the city council? The reorganization plan says that the current town council members will be the city council until 2015, and thereafter they will be elected “at large” rather than from individual districts. Fishers would be the first and only city in Indiana where its citizens cannot vote for mayor and directly elect council members. Really, I’m not making this up – take a look on page 8 and 9 of the plan found on the Town’s website at https://www.fishers.in.us/egov/docs/12940790227886.pdf

This is the same Town Council that shows up at election time proclaiming their allegiance to the flag and the constitution, and their concern for the citizens of Fishers. Yet, behind the scenes they’re spending tens – if not hundreds – of thousands of taxpayer dollars trying to eliminate your right to choose your public officials.

A Democrat, Republican and Libertarian have sued the Town in federal court, citing this violation of your voting rights. The Town is now using every tool and taxpayer dollars at its disposal to defend its actions. As a resident of Fishers or even anywhere in the United States do you think this is right?

You won’t hear Town Council members talking much about their elimination of your right to vote for city officials this campaign season, but the next time you hear them claiming to respect the will of the citizens of Fishers you might ask them how elimination your right to vote makes Fishers a better, safer or cleaner place to live.

Joe Weingarten
14066 Deer Stone Ln
Fortville, IN 46040
317-598-1026