From the desk of Mayor Terry McDonald…
On November 4th, you will be asked to vote on a very important question about the future organization of our Allen County Government. Should we change from our present three County Commissioner system to one elected County Executive (Commissioner), and should the Allen County Council be reorganized from its current make up of the current four districts and three at-large to a system of nine districts giving the Allen County Council legislative authority? Some believe the change will be better for economic development and would provide for smoother operations of county government, along with better representation of the residents outside of Fort Wayne. Some do not believe the new system would improve anything, but would rather concentrate executive power into the hands of one person. This would reduce the representation we currently have with four districts and three at-large council representatives. How will this affect New Haven?
Today, you and I are able to elect three Commissioners, one district council person and three at-large council persons – a total of seven people looking out for our best interest. This is a system of checks and balances. The proponents of the new system cannot show us with any real authority that efficiencies will be created or how the districts will be formed. When we went to the Allen County Council for 911 funding to upgrade our Emergency Communications Center, we were able to lobby our district representative and the three at-largemembers in order to get the four votes we needed to get back money that we have all paid into the 911 fund.
In the future, if we change the system, each district person will be focused on their district, and there will be no one looking out for the entire county as we have today in the three at-large council members. Our system of three County Commissioners is not broken as they would have you to believe.
A single County Executive would not be able to create more economic development and create more efficiency because the other systems of county government would not be changing. The current County Government structure works in surrounding counties within the region, so why does it need to be changed in Allen County? You have a voice in this issue. Remember to vote on November 4th.
