I recall the October 12th Fishers City Council session where councilors of different political stripes were debating how to make council appointments to boards and commissions, as well as how the council planned to formally establish its committee system.  The original proposal was to have the council president make decisions on appointments.

After much work, a council committee, made up of then-Council-President Selina Stoller, with other members John Weingardt, Cecilia Coble and Crystal Neumann, hammered out a final agreement allowing the council itself to have the final word on appointments after consideration from the Rules Committee.  The compromise, enacted unanimously at the January 18th council session, also provides minority representation on the three standing committees – Budget & Finance, Rules and Non-Profit.

The council consists of 7 Republicans and 2 Democrats.

Councilor Neumann, the sole Democrat on the panel proposing this system, said the final outcome came after a lot of work.  “Through collaboration, we have come to a compromise,” Neumann told her fellow Council members. “Especially in the political climate that we’re in, and the political divide amongst the nation, Fishers really leads the way in coming to a collaboration.  It just makes me really proud.”

In October, several council members objected to having the Council President make final decisions on council appointments to boards and commissions, as well as the council’s standing committees.

After witnessing that debate, and seeing the compromise reached that led to the unanimous vote on the policy in January, I find that refreshing.  Having covered Fishers government for 11 years, it is good to see local people coming together and working out their differences to come up with a policy everyone can support.

Perhaps Councilor Neumann is correct.  Maybe, just maybe, by coming together to solve this problem, could that lead to better solutions on future issues coming before the Fishers City Council?  Just maybe.