Noon Edition airs Fridays at 12:00 pm on WFIU.

A proposed bill could eliminate roughly one-third of Indiana's townships.

Under House Bill 1005, townships with populations less than 1,200 would be required to merge with neighboring townships over the next five years.

Legislators considered township reform nearly a decade ago and was met with strong opposition. Indiana Township Association was opposed that reform plan, but today the organization supports the bill.

It remains unclear how much money this plan would save the state or how much this would cost impacted townships.

This week on Noon Edition, our panelists will discuss how this consolidation would affect Indiana's township system.

Guests:

Debbie Driskell: Executive Director of the Indiana Township Association

Frank Nierzwieki: Clinical Assistant Professor, IU School of Public and Environmental Affairs

Roger Daniel: Clay Township Trustee, Owen County

Conversation - Potential Impact Of A Bill That Would Eliminate 300 Ind. Townships

In the hour, our panelists discussed the role of townships in local communities and how that role would evolve if HB 1005 were to be signed into law.

Debbie Driskell is the Executive Director of the Indiana Township Association. Her organization supports the bill because, under the reform plan, every Hoosier would still belong to a township and be represented by a trustee.

When two townships merge, she says they would have the ability to reset and work together to provide essential services like fire protection and assistance to the poor.

"We believe that it will bring longevity to township government, and it will make us stronger. A lot of our smaller townships are having trouble being effective in providing services," she says. "But some have told us, over the years, that they just simply cannot provide adequate fire protection or township assistance because they have very little to work with as far as a tax levy."

Frank Nierzwieki is a professor at Indiana University's School of Public and Environmental Affairs. He says, for many, townships are a longstanding tradition that keeps governing local; however, sometimes, a township just isn't financially viable.

"The problem is how we pay for the bills on this, and I'm all for to actually have the government of the people at the local level, but things will be changing," he says.

Roger Daniel is the Clay Township Trustee in Owen County. While Daniel's township would not be consolidated, four townships in his county would be affected by the consolidation plan: Harrison, Jennings, Marion and Taylor townships.

He's in the fourth year of his first term as trustee. Daniel says he sees value in the position for the community but understands the need for change.

"It may be antiquated, but I really think the basic structure is sound, and maybe we, as trustees, need to get more involved in our community."