MUSGRAVE TAKES QUICK ACTION TO AVERT CITY OVERSTEP
FEBRUARY 27, 2024
County commissioner Cheryl Musgrave took action today to stop the City of Evansville from enforcing provisions of a proposed environmental ordinance outside the city limits.
The Environmental Code, ordinance G-2024-02, creates a commission to enforce air quality standards. The ordinance stated, “The regulations created in this chapter shall extend four miles beyond the limits of the city…â€
After reading the ordinance on the City-County Observer website, Johnny Kincaid, host of the This Week in Evansville podcast, was curious about the city having jurisdiction in the county. After unsuccessful attempts to connect with city council members, Kincaid contacted Commissioner Musgrave.
Musgrave contacted the legal council and learned that, at one time, the city could extend its authority beyond city limits. However, the state legislature changed that in 2019, meaning the ordinance can only be enforced within the city.
Because of the intervention by Musgrave, the city is rewriting a portion of the ordinance so it can be voted on at last night’s City Council meeting.
