For Immediate Release April 1, 2005

For More Information Contact: Jamie Palmer, 317-261-3046

Survey: Local Elected Officials Say Healthcare, Substance Abuse, and the Economy Are Top Concerns

INDIANAPOLIS - An overwhelming number of local elected officials say that the most pressing problems in Indiana communities are the cost of healthcare, substance abuse, and the economy, according to an annual survey by the Indiana Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations.

The IACIR surveyed 1,219 officeholders in the fall of 2004, including all members of the Indiana General Assembly, mayors, presidents of county councils and county board of commissioners, school board presidents, and random selections of town council members and township trustees.

The survey was the seventh in a series designed to help officeholders and citizens understand issues facing local governments.

Included in the survey were questions about 55 community conditions in six categories: health, public safety, economics, land use, local services, and community quality of life. Questions also addressed some "hot topics" affecting local communities in 2004, including reassessment, stormwater utilities, and federal and state mandates.

Other survey findings show:

• Separate questions asking which issues are worsening , most deteriorated , and most important to work on reveal similar results. For all three categories, the issues most often identified are the cost of health services, drug abuse and drug crime, the economy, traffic, and the vitality of downtowns.
• The issues identified as most improved are high speed internet access, parks and recreation, K-12 education, police-community relations, community involvement, vitality of downtown, water quality, police/sheriff services, and fire services.
• Almost three-quarters of the officials are optimistic about the future of their communities. This is a slight increase from 2003, but less optimism than in 1999, 2001, and 2002.
• More than one-quarter say their local governments are receiving services from another local government. These shared services include juvenile detention, jail, emergency dispatch, emergency medical services, and economic development.
• A growing proportion of officials include youth crime and brownfields among the most important problems. Brownfields are abandoned or underutilized commercial or industrial property on which development is difficult because of environmental contamination. Redevelopment of brownfields is often considered an important issue for growth management in Indiana communities.
• Parks and recreation is seen as an important service, and has been reported frequently as improved for the last several years. Respondents overwhelmingly say that the public benefits of parks and recreation, such as aesthetic beauty, health and fitness, open space, and access to all income levels and to disabled residents, are important in their communities.
• A majority of respondents say tax controls and welfare mandates are the state and federal mandates that have had the most significant impact on meeting local needs. Health, water quality and adult corrections also are identified by significant numbers of respondents.
• Many communities are now planning how to comply with state and federal regulations regarding stormwater quality and financing for new environmental activities. At least 33 communities and 5 counties adopted stormwater utilities.

The IACIR is a statutory commission comprised of 24 members who represent the legislature, the executive branch of state government, counties, municipalities, townships, and citizens, and staffed by the Center for Urban Policy and the Environment at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. Since its inception in 1995, the organization has made numerous efforts to improve intergovernmental decision-making and provide an ongoing forum for discussion and resolution of intergovernmental concerns.

For more information and the complete report, visit the IACIR Web site (http://iacir.spea.iupui.edu/). ###