Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Vigo County council adopts ordinance requiring voter referendum before county funds used for school buildings
Summary
After heated debate and public comment, the Vigo County Council approved an ordinance that bars use of county funds for acquiring land, building, or renovating school facilities for the Vigo County School Corporation without a ballot referendum; the measure passed 4-3.
The Vigo County Council on Oct. 14 adopted an ordinance that requires a countywide referendum before the council may appropriate any taxpayer funds for acquiring land, constructing or renovating school buildings, or funding an oversight board for the Vigo County School Corporation. The measure passed on a 4-3 roll-call vote.
Supporters said the ordinance returns final authority on large capital spending for schools to voters. Councilman Steve Ellis, who introduced the measure, read the text into the record, saying, “Unless specifically mandated by Indiana law ... the Vigo County Council will not appropriate any taxpayer monies, funds or other county financial resources ... without a ballot referendum requesting said specific funding and a specific ... approval by the registered voters of Vigo County.”
Proponents framed the ordinance as a protection against large, long-term county commitments without direct voter…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
