SOUTH BEND — The city of South Bend on Friday filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn a special state law that officials say leads to unfair representation in county government.
Indiana law treats St. Joseph County and only two others, Lake and Marion, differently from the state's 89 other counties in arranging a county's governing bodies. The special law for St. Joseph County violates the Indiana Constitution and leads to underrepresentation of South Bend and Mishawaka residents, the city argues in its suit against the Indiana Election Commission.
How do the laws differ?
In almost every county, Indiana law dictates that three commissioners and three councilors are elected by and represent all of the county's residents. Four other councilors are elected to represent four distinct districts within the county.
In St. Joseph County, the setup determined by state law differs. The three commissioners are elected by residents in three discrete districts. The nine county councilors are also elected by voters living in nine separate districts.
More:St. Joseph County commissioners approve new election maps to help settle lawsuit
Why does the city think it's unfair?
South Bend Mayor James Mueller told The Tribune the unusual law means county officials aren't beholden to an "electoral imperative to take into account what's good for the entire county." He added that a three-headed executive body is needlessly complex and inefficient.