New proposal being pushed to consolidate St. Joseph County local townships

ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, Ind. -- A new push is being proposed to consolidate 13 local townships in St. Joseph County into 3 new regional townships to improve services and potentially save taxpayers money.

This is a voluntary government modernization proposal in the wake of a new state law set to force consolidation.

The concept is being floated by current Portage Township Trustee Jason Critchlow. The proposal is still in the draft period with nothing fully settled, but if the proposal is approved it would eliminate 10 small townships and their elected officials to create 3 larger versions. Critchlow wants to launch community meetings to discuss the potential impact on township tax revenues, expenses, emergency services, and more.

"I do think some consolidation efforts do make sense when you take into effect, when you take into account the costs and the cultural expectations that people have these days. I think there was a time when, yes, if you moved into Greene Township or out into a rural area, you accepted the fact that if you called 911, help might be a 20-minute drive away. I don't think that the current generation thinks that way. I think they expect help to be there now." says Critchlow.

Other townships are considering consolidation, and the new state law will force smaller townships to merge to save taxpayer money.