Old boundaries demand new ideas for cutting costs

No sane person would design today the political boundaries and the hodgepodge of public services that exist today in the Mahoning Valley.
Dozens of townships, villages and cities -- all with their own governing bodies and most with their own police, fire and street departments (not to mention the smaller number of parks, water and sewer departments) -- are a relic of history. They are a product of surveyors and legislators who have been dead for 150 years: they are part of our tradition. And tradition dies hard.
The time has come to lay some traditions to rest -- or at least to begin working toward that end.
The latest trial balloon was launched by Austintown Township Trustee David Ditzler, who suggested that his township and neighboring Boardman and Canfield do some brainstorming about their safety-service costs.
Those costs are not inconsiderable. Austintown spent $3.7 million on the police department last year and $2.3 million on the fire department. Boardman spent $7.5 million for police and $4.3 million for fire. Canfield spent $2 million for police and Canfield Township spent $200,000 for a service contract with the Sheriff's Department. The Cardinal Joint Fire District spent $1.2 million.
That's a total of more than $21 million.
Costs vs. benefits
No one wants to give up local control, but when money begins to get tight, the value of having three police chiefs and three fire chiefs for three townships must be examined. The wisdom of having a cruiser from one jurisdiction drive up one side of the street while a cruiser from the adjacent jurisdiction patrols the other side comes into question.
This is an issue that demands attention throughout the area. Mahoning County is home to 19 township or municipal police departments and 17 fire departments Services are also provided by the county sheriff, Mill Creek Park police, Youngstown State University police, the state highway patrol and state park rangers.
Looking north to Trumbull County, the five southern townships of the county -- Newton, Lordstown, Weathersfield, Liberty and Hubbard -- include the cities or villages of Newton Falls, Lordstown, Niles, McDonald, Girard and Hubbard. Between them, those political entities have 18 police or fire departments.
That level of duplication of services approaches insanity.