St. Joe rebuts Daniels
Ross offers arguments for Central switch
Published: Thursday, December 01, 2005 -- The Truth,
Truth Staff

ELKHART -- It is possible to grant St. Joseph County's request to change time zones and still keep St. Joe and Elkhart counties on the same time, according to one county commissioner's petition to the federal government.

In a 71-page submission to the U.S. Department of Transportation, St. Joseph County Commissioner Steve Ross offered more arguments why St. Joe should be granted its switch to Central time.

Ross submitted two reports to the federal agency Wednesday, in part responding to Gov. Mitch Daniels' request that St. Joseph County's petition for a time-zone switch be denied.

The DOT recommended that St. Joseph County be moved to the Central zone. Elkhart County did not request a switch. The public comment period is now finished, and a final decision by the DOT is expected in January.

Two reports -- one by Fort Wayne attorney Paul O'Malley and another by John F. Gaske, an associate professor at the University of Notre Dame -- say St. Joseph County would see an economic benefit by switching to Central time.

O'Malley says LaPorte County's lack of economic progress over the last 40 years is in part caused by its location on the time zone border. The time-zone difference between LaPorte and St. Joseph counties has caused some businesses to move to Elkhart County rather than LaPorte County, wrote O'Malley.

Elkhart County officials have said they would petition for Central time if data merit the choice. If St. Joseph County is granted its switch, Elkhart County would have an overwhelming case for Central, Gaske wrote.

St. Joseph County would be willing to defer implementation of the time zone switch for some time to give Elkhart time to submit its petition, he wrote.

Central time supporters argue that St. Joseph County should not be denied its petition because its smaller neighbor to the east does not want to change.

Those who support Eastern time for St. Joseph County, including Commissioner Mark Dobson, say its business and transportation communities want to remain on Eastern time.

"It was based on economics," said Dobson, who voted against seeking a time-zone switch.

Ross said he was confident his county would be approved for Central time -- but only if politics stayed out of the equation.

"If this issue is truly weighed on just its merits, I feel confident that we would be on Central time," Ross said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.