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House passes HB 190 in a unanimous vote The (Elizabethtown) News-Enterprise

 

Article originally posted to The News-Enterprise Web site http://www.thenewsenterprise.com/content/house-passes-hb-190-unanimous-vote

House passes HB 190 in a unanimous vote

Unification clarification awaits approval from state Senate

By Sarah Bennett
Thursday, January 19, 2012 at 3:42 pm (Updated: January 19, 10:33 pm)

The Kentucky House of Representatives passed House Bill 190 Wednesday in a unanimous 94-0 vote.

The bill’s primary goal was to clarify the language of the existing unification law, said Luke Schmidt, consultant for Hardin County United.

Introduced by Rep. Jimmie Lee, D-Elizabethtown, and co-sponsored by Rep. Tim Moore, R-Elizabethtown, HB 190 ensures a city will be exempt from joining unified government if the majority of its residents vote against unification.

Rep. Darryl Owens, D-Louisville, and Rep. Arnold Simpson, D-Covington, also co-sponsored the bill, according to a news release.

Schmidt said this was a problem identified when HCU began presentations to county residents last fall. The organization has been adamant a city’s majority vote would be respected, he said.

The bill now moves to the state Senate, and Lee said Thursday the senate will hear its own bills first before it reviews those passed by the House.

“I don’t think we should start to worry if they don’t begin discussing it immediately,” he said.

Lee said it’s notable the bill passed unanimously in the House, adding it appears there is enough interest across the state in exploring the unification tool.

Schmidt said the 94-0 vote in the House is a “terrific margin,” which he sees as indicative of bipartisan support in the state legislature.

Sarah Bennett can be reached at (270) 505-1750 or sbennett@thenewsenterprise.com.

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KY House of Representatives passes House Bill 190 WAVE-TV (Louisville)

Kentucky House of Representatives passes House Bill 190
Submitted by Sarah Eisenmenger
Thursday, January 19th, 2012, 2:12pm

ELIZABETHTOWN, KY (WAVE) – Hardin County United (HCU) today recognized the action taken by the Kentucky House of Representatives in passing House Bill 190 by a vote of 94 – 0.  HB 190 was introduced by State Representative Jimmie Lee (D-Elizabethtown) and is co-sponsored by State Representatives Tim Moore (R-Elizabethtown), Darryl Owens (D-Louisville), and Arnold Simpson (D-Covington).

“I am pleased to report to the citizens of Hardin County who have been following the issue of unified government that their concerns about how an individual city’s citizens’ vote on a unified government plan will be treated have been heard loud and clear by the House of Representative,” said State Representative Jimmie Lee.  “Voters can rest assured that HB 190 clearly states that if the majority of a city’s voters vote no on a plan for unified government, then that city will remain free-standing, even if other jurisdictions should vote yes for the plan,” said Lee.

“Passage of HB 190 by the House of Representatives represents another major step forward in HCU’s initiative to bring a plan on unified government to the citizens of Hardin County,” said Luke B. Schmidt, consultant to HCU.  “HCU is following up on its commitment to address this issue,” said Schmidt.

“HCU appreciates the leadership that our Hardin County legislative delegation is bringing to this issue,” said Hardin Circuit Court Judge Ken Howard, Chair of HCU’s Governance Subcommittee.  “We look forward to turning our attention to the Kentucky State Senate in moving this issue through to final passage” said Howard.

 

 

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Legislation Introduced in the KY General Assembly (Press Release)

HCU logo_3

Legislation Introduced in the Kentucky General Assembly to Assure the Integrity of a Community’s Vote on Unified Government

January 6, 2012 

House Bill 190 and Senate Bill 78 Seek to Assure Communities that the Votes of their Citizens will Count When it Comes to Determining Final Participation in a Unified Government Plan

Elizabethtown, Kentucky (January 6, 2012) – Hardin County United (HCU) today announced that legislation has been filed in both the Kentucky State House of Representatives and the Kentucky State Senate. The companion bills – House Bill 190, introduced by State Representative Jimmie Lee (D-Elizabethtown) and State Representative Tim Moore (R-Elizabethtown), and, Senate Bill 78, introduced by Senator Dennis Parrett (D-Elizabethtown) – are designed to affirm the intent of the majority of voters participating in a community-wide referendum on unified government.

HCU launched its unified government initiative on August 4, 2011. The process, as specified under existing state law, first requires county government along with city governments that wish to participate in the process to pass an ordinance which creates the Unification Review Commission. The Commission, once established, will include between 20 and 40 citizens appointed by the various participating governments. It is the Commission’s responsibility to develop a plan for unified government which will include county government and the participating municipal governments. Once the plan has been completed, it is to be submitted to the voters in the participating jurisdictions for review and approval.

As HCU presented its findings to the community on the potential benefits of unified government, concern was expressed by several elected officials about how an individual community’s vote on unified government would be handled in relation to the votes in the other jurisdictions. In other words, and, hypothetically speaking, if voters in the county and say five of the six Hardin County cities voted to unify, what would happen to the city who’s voters voted not to unify?

“Hardin County United has been clear from the beginning that the intent of the majority of a community’s voters must be respected,” said Hardin Circuit Court Judge Ken Howard, Chairperson of HCU’s Governance Subcommittee. “If a majority of voters in a given city vote no on unification, even though the other jurisdictions vote yes on unification, then it is our view that the community that voted no should be allowed to remain a free-standing community.”

“Existing state law is not as clear as it needs to be on this issue,” said State Representative Jimmie Lee. “The intent of our bill is to clear up any ambiguity that exists in order to provide voters in a given community complete assurance that the majority view on unified government as expressed by the voters in that community will be upheld.”

House Bill 190 and Senate Bill 78 were introduced during the first week of the Regular Session which convened in Frankfort on January 3, 2012. “This is an important next step in HCU’s initiative to bring a plan of unified government to the voters of Hardin County and its cities,” said Luke B. Schmidt, consultant to HCU. “Many good questions have been raised by citizens during our 25+ community presentations on this issue. Most of these questions can’t be answered until the Unification Review Commission is appointed and it drafts its plan, which will be submitted to the voters for their careful review and consideration.”

“I have consulted with local elected officials and believe that new legislation is necessary to clarify existing statutes.  With the passage of this bill, any city council that chooses to approve the establishment of a Unification Review Commission can do so with the confidence that the voters in their respective community will have the final say as to whether they participate in a unified government,” said Representative Tim Moore.  “City Councils will have the authority to allow participation.  And, if the unification process is initiated by their locally elected officials, the majority of voters in a given community will determine the outcome for each community.”

“I look forward to raising this important issue with my colleagues in the Senate,” said State Senator Dennis Parrett. “Voters voting on a plan of unified government need to feel confident that their community’s wishes on the issue will be respected – passage of Senate Bill 78 will make this happen.”

HCU believes that there are four primary benefits to unifying local government in Hardin County, including:

1. The attainment of a new level of clout as Kentucky’s third largest community that will assist the entire community in the creation of new jobs,

2. The ability for the community to speak with one voice and more efficiently target grants and appropriations which will benefit the entire community while improving the community’s standing and stature in Frankfort and Washington, D.C.,

3. Streamlined government which will result in the more efficient delivery of government services to all citizens, and,

4. The achievement of economies of scale which will result in the more efficient use of public resources (tax dollars).

“We view this as positive legislation,” said Schmidt. “This legislation impacts only those communities in Kentucky that are considering unified government and there is no fiscal impact on the Commonwealth – meaning no new taxes will be required in order to implement this legislation.”

More information on HCU’s unified government initiative can be found by visiting HCU’s Web site: www.hcu.lbschmidt.com.

—

Hardin County United (HCU) was established for the purpose of examining the various strategic goals which were established by the Hardin County Vision Project in 2010. The intent of HCU is to prioritize the goals and to develop implementation strategies. HCU’s leadership team includes Hardin County Judge/Executive Harry Berry who chairs the Steering Committee; Hardin County Chamber of Commerce President Brad Richardson, who chairs the Community Development Subcommittee; North Central Education Foundation President/CEO Al Rider, who chairs the Education Subcommittee; and Hardin Circuit Court Judge Ken Howard who chairs the Governance Subcommittee. Luke Schmidt, President of L.B. Schmidt & Associates, LLC, provides management and consulting services to HCU.

 

 

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NKY forum focuses on merging gov’t services The (Covington) Kentucky Enquirer

COVINGTON -In 1872, Covington and Newport considered merging.

That’s the first newspaper reference to local government mergers in Northern Kentucky, according to Northern Kentucky University history professor Paul Tenkotte.

Most cities have opted to remain independent – Campbell County has 15 cities and Kenton has 18 – but the idea of consolidation never left the minds of local leaders.

Tenkotte and other experts at a forum Tuesday night at the Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center discussed the economic benefits and challenges of merging governments and services. Some said other areas, such as Louisville, gained economic development advantages by consolidating governments.

The answer to why Northern Kentucky has so many cities lies with the Great Depression and World War II, Tenkotte said.

The leaders of many Kenton County suburban cities in the 1920s, such as Fort Mitchell and Park Hills, envisioned being annexed by Covington, he said. But the Works Progress Administration in the Great Depression built infrastructure in these cities, and the World War II generation’s volunteerism sustained the small cities.

“The WPA … provided funds on a cost-sharing basis to build city buildings, school sidewalks, sewers, water treatment plants, you name it, and the suburbs took advantage of that and got great infrastructure built,” Tenkotte said. “So then we go into World War II. After World War II, the suburbs can take advantage of what Tom Brokaw and others called the Greatest Generation, a generation that was very involved with civic engagement … and they looked and said we don’t need Covington anymore.”

Rising pension costs for cities has many looking at ways to save money. That might mean the merging of services, Crestview Hills Mayor Paul Meier said.

“If something drastic doesn’t happen with that pension system, we’re going to have to look at least at the consolidation of services,” Meier said. “That’s one of the things our city has done. We don’t have our own fire department. We contract that out. We contract the police department. I think you will find that in a lot of places going forward.”

The consolidation of city and county governments doesn’t happen often in the United States, Suzanne Leland, a political science professor with the Urban Institute of the University of North Carolina, told the audience Tuesday night.

Only 40 city-county consolidated governments exist in the United States, she said, including Lexington and Louisville. When they get proposed, 85 percent get defeated at the ballot box, Leland said.

Most city-county mergers happen with areas that have a populations of 100,000-300,000, she said, and succeeded when the campaign stressed the economic development value over the government efficiency, Leland said.

The forum Tuesday night featured people who worked elsewhere in the state on consolidation.

Some leaders in Hardin County, which has a population of 105,000, have proposed consolidating the government of the county and the cities, which includes Elizabethtown and five other municipal governments.

In addition to less duplication, the merging of governments would give Hardin County more clout, said Luke Schmidt, a consultant who is working on the proposed Hardin County consolidation. A unified government in Hardin County would make it the third-largest city in the state.

“Because of that, economic development will be more focused – more singularly focused – and we expect good job creation to come from that,” Schmidt said.

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Hardin County’s Choice: Become super-city, or keep individuality? (WDRB-TV)

ELIZABETHTOWN, KY. (WDRB)— Become a Kentucky super-city, or keep individuality intact? Some cities in Hardin County are deciding they would rather stand alone.

It’s an uphill battle for Hardin County United, trying to convince six cities to merge — and Radcliff is already saying “no.” That leaves Elizabethtown, Vine Grove, Upton, Sonora, and West Point in the mix.

Elizabethtown Councilman Larry Ashlock says, “The thing about what I’ve heard from individuals is sort of the old saying, ‘If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.’”

Elizabethtown leaders aren’t getting good vibes from residents. Tim Walker, Elizabethtown Mayor, says, “The questions they ask is, ‘Well, what would be the benefits if we merged? What services would we receive that we’re not receiving now?”

The merger would create the third largest community in the state, making it easier to receive money, and with a bigger voice in Frankfort and D.C.

Here’s how it would work: Hardin County United informs the public at a series of events, such as a recent Rotary meting. Then the town councils would decide if they’re interested. That would create a commission in Hardin County to develop the plan.

But voters would have the final say.

Luke Schmidt of Hardin County United says, “All we’re asking is for people to give it a chance. Let us put the commission together.”

“I feel that what we have now works, I think it works now,” said Walker, “and I’m just not convinced of the positives at this time.”

Another complaint — residents don’t want to lose their town’s identity.

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HCU consultant explains unification review process The (Elizabethtown) News-Enterprise

Guest column by Luke B. Schmidt, consultant to Hardin County United

 

Hardin County’s citizens have a unique opportunity. Hardin County has the opportunity to unify its existing good local government and become one of the largest and most progressive communities in Kentucky.

However, before the citizens will be able to consider and vote on whether or not the community should unify, a specific plan first must be developed. Under Kentucky law, this plan only can be developed by what is called the unification review commission.

Let’s be clear: Only the voters of Hardin County can consider and approve unified government.

Hardin County United cannot impose unified government.

Hardin Fiscal Court and the six city councils cannot approve unified government.

But in order to get to the heart of the matter, HCU is asking each of the local government entities to approve an ordinance to create the unification review commission.

Approval of the ordinance does not mean that Fiscal Court or any of the city councils are endorsing (or creating) unified government. It simply means that they are willing to give voters the opportunity to consider unified government at the ballot box.

Once approved and sworn in, commission members will do the hard work of actually developing a detailed plan. The commission will hold a series of meetings (all open to the public) to develop, step-by-step, the plan for a unified Hardin County. This plan will spell out just exactly how Hardin County could be governed under a unified form of government.

Upon completion, the plan will be presented to voters. Residents will have ample opportunity to read and study the plan and decide for themselves as to whether unified government is the direction that the community should take going forward.  Again, only the voters of Hardin County can make this decision – not HCU or the local government entities.

As the consultant to HCU, it has been my privilege during the past 14 months to work with HCU’s governance subcommittee as it has carefully reviewed and considered the issue of unified government for Hardin County. During this time, the subcommittee has met with representatives of various groups, including law enforcement, fire protection, Fort Knox, state elected officials as well as federally elected officials. We received valuable input from each group.

In addition, and as part of the fact-finding process, the governance subcommittee met with former Lexington Mayor Foster Pettit and former Louisville Metro Mayor Jerry Abramson, both of whom served prior to and following the unification of each of those cities.

Much of what we have learned can be found by visiting HCU’s website (www.hcu.lbschmidt.com) and by clicking on the large blue button on the home page which will take you to the special section that HCU has created on unified government, including frequently asked questions.

The News-Enterprise recently asked in an editorial “Can it hurt to talk about something new?”

HCU believes that now is a good time for the community to engage in a fully open discussion about unified government and its potential benefits. This begins with the creation of the unification review commission and its development of a plan. There really isn’t any risk whatsoever to the community when it comes to developing the plan and learning what unified government could look like.

The process ends with the voters who will decide if the plan is in the community’s best interest.

Luke B. Schmidt is president of Louisville-based L.B. Schmidt & Associates and is serving as a consultant to Hardin County United.

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Hardin County could become KY’s 3rd largest community (WDRB-TV)

By: Rachel Collier – rcollier@fox41.com

HARDIN County, Ky. (WDRB Fox 41) — Hardin County is one step closer to becoming the third largest community in Kentucky, but there’s still a lot of work to be done before it could happen.

A yellow shaded area shows where the majority of Hardin county residents live. “You have 85,000 people (in that area). That is easily the 3rd largest community in the state of Kentucky,” said Luke Schmidt, of Schmidt and Associates Consulting Firm.

Because the boundaries are dividing the cities, it is not the 3rd largest. Take those boundaries down and you have strength in numbers. In the past year, Luke Schmidt’s consulting firm has traveled to merged cities in Georgia and even to Lexington and Louisville. He says his team has learned that merging would be a plus for Hardin County, as well.

Hardin County United first needs to convince six city councils that merging is the right thing to do. Those cities are Elizabethtown, Radcliff, Vine Grove, West Point, Sonora, and Upton. “If any of the communities choose not to participate, they’re essentially left out of the process,” said Schmidt.

If those city councils decide to come up with a merger plan, voters have the final say. Hardin County Circuit Court Judge Ken Howard says the merger would streamline government and use tax dollars more efficiently.

But there is still a long road ahead.  After all, it took Louisville three tries to merge.

The first informational meetings are next week. For local government officials, it is Wednesday at Hardin Memorial Hospital at 5:30PM.

The community forum is Thursday at John Hardin High School’s Performing Arts Center at 4:30PM.

If city councils approve, the public will vote in November of 2012.

If it is approved by voters, the merger would take about two years (2014) to go into effect.

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Hardin County United Launches Unified Government Initiative (Press Release)

 

HCU logo_3Press Release

Contact:
The Honorable Ken Howard
Hardin Circuit Court Judge
270.763.2519 

Luke B. Schmidt, President
L.B. Schmidt & Associates, LLC
502.292.2898

Hardin County United Launches Unified Government Initiative

Effort Will Create Kentucky’s Third Largest Community, New Clout in Frankfort and Washington, and Streamline Government; 

HCU to Request the Appointment of a Unification Review Commission

 

Elizabethtown, Kentucky (July 29, 2011) – Hardin County United (HCU) today launched an initiative to develop unified government in Hardin County by announcing the findings of its year-long examination of the issue.

During the past year, HCU commissioned a study of unified government which was conducted by Louisville-based consulting firm, L.B. Schmidt & Associates, LLC.  HCU’s Governance Subcommittee, chaired by Hardin Circuit Court Judge Ken Howard, conducted community leadership meetings with groups representing law enforcement, fire protection, Fort Knox, state elected officials and federal elected officials. HCU also received presentations from former Louisville Metro Mayor Jerry Abramson and former Lexington-Fayette Urban County Mayor Foster Pettit on the issue of government unification.

Upon review of the issue, both HCU’s Governance Subcommittee and Steering Committee reached consensus and agreed that Hardin County would be well served with unified government, citing the following benefits:

  1. The ability for the community to speak with one voice and more efficiently target grants and appropriations which will benefit the entire community while improving the community’s standing and stature in Frankfort and Washington, D.C.,
  2. The attainment of a new level of clout that will assist the entire community with economic development, the creation of new jobs and which will create Kentucky’s third largest community,
  3. Streamlined government which will result in the more efficient delivery of government services to all citizens, and,
  4. The achievement of economies of scale which will result in the more efficient use of public resources (tax dollars)

“Hardin County is fortunate to have good local government in place,” said Ken Howard.  “The real opportunity here is to take local government to the next level, to capitalize on the growth opportunities presented by base realignment and ongoing Army restructuring at Fort Knox and the Glendale mega site.”

“Unified government won’t necessarily save money, but what it will do is organize government more efficiently and eliminate duplication of effort,” said Howard.  “Our research indicates that the rate of growth in the cost of public services has been shown to be reduced in unified governments, thereby reducing the need for frequent tax increases.”

The Hardin County Unified Government Study examined Hardin County’s existing local government structure along with five communities in Georgia and Kentucky that have been through the unification process.  Some of the key findings from the Study include:

  • Hardin County, a community of 105,000 people, is governed by 94 government jurisdictions, county and municipal departments, utilities, boards and commissions

(By comparison, In the case of Columbus and Muscogee County, Georgia prior to unification, the community was governed by 44 jurisdictions and departments; with unification, that number was reduced to nine primary departments)

  • Significant duplication exists between County government and the six municipal governments in terms of workers and budgets
  • In spite of the fragmented manner in which the community has developed, a significant urban core has emerged in Hardin County between the three principal cities – Elizabethtown, Radcliff and Vine Grove – and the rapidly developing unincorporated areas of Cecilia, Glendale and Rineyville
  • If this area had no immediate boundaries, its population would total 85,000 people and it would easily be Kentucky’s third largest city (see map which accompanies this release)
  • Competition for support of issues, grant/appropriation requests, etc., exist in counties with more than one local government jurisdiction – would this process be better served with one request from a unified government speaking with one voice?
  • In the case of each of the five unified communities which were examined, the communities were able to streamline government, mitigate future cost increases and increase their standing and stature (clout) in their respective state capitols and in Washington, D.C.

“Unification has provided major benefits to the communities that have been through the process,” said Luke B. Schmidt, consultant to HCU.  “In every case, communities came together through unification and began speaking with one voice and the net result has been increased clout with state and federal governments, expanded economic development and increased representation for all citizens through unified government councils.”

“Unified government leads to less parochialism and forces government to conduct a ‘big picture’ analysis of issues with more progressive outcomes,” Schmidt continued.  “We found out that economic development prospects like to deal with one government, and in the case of Lexington, unified government is one of the four cornerstones that help to sell Lexington as a place to do business.”

Going forward, HCU plans to take the leadership role in educating and informing the Hardin County community and each government entity about the facts of unified government by speaking to various groups and interested parties.

HCU is hosting an information session open to all elected local government officials on Wednesday, August 3, 2011 at Hardin Memorial Hospital’s fifth floor conference room beginning at 5:30 PM.

Citizens are invited to HCU’s community forum which will be held on Thursday, August 4, 2011, at the Hardin County Performing Arts Center at John Hardin High School, 384 W.A. Jenkins Road, Elizabethtown, and beginning at 4:30 PM.  Interested citizens are encouraged to attend.

HCU also plans to approach each local government entity beginning in September and request the passage of an ordinance which will create a Unification Review Commission (pursuant to Kentucky Revised Statutes Chapters 67.900 – 67.940).  Members of the Commission (which will include between 20 and 40 citizens) will be appointed by those local government entities that choose to participate.  The Commission will be charged with the task of developing a specific plan of unified government which will be presented to the voters to approve in November 2012.

Additional information on this issue can be found on HCU’s Web site (www.hcu.lbschmidt.com).

Hardin County United (HCU) was established for the purpose of examining the various strategic goals which were established by the Hardin County Vision Project in 2010.  The intent of HCU is to prioritize the goals and to develop implementation strategies.  HCU’s leadership team includes Hardin County Judge/Executive Harry Berry who chairs the Steering Committee; Hardin County Chamber of Commerce President Brad Richardson, who chairs the Community Development Subcommittee; North Central Education Foundation President/CEO Al Rider, who chairs the Education Subcommittee; and Hardin Circuit Court Judge Ken Howard who chairs the Governance Subcommittee.  Luke Schmidt, President of L.B. Schmidt & Associates, LLC, provides management and consulting services to HCU.

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Hardin Co. Considers Unified Government WEKU-FM (Eastern Kentucky University Public Radio)

Article originally posted to WEKU-FM Web site: http://weku.fm/post/hardin-co-considers-unified-government

Hardin Circuit Judge Ken Howard told a roomful of elected officials Wednesday that Hardin County is in an age of prosperity and growth, which is the perfect time to consider looking at a unified local government. Without a crisis hanging over their heads or their backs against the wall, a more reasoned and careful examination of unification can be taken, he said. Howard, chairman of the Hardin County United Governance Subcommittee, partnered with consultant Luke Schmidt to walk elected officials through a comprehensive study Schmidt’s firm conducted that analyzed five unified governments in Georgia and Kentucky.