2009: A year government must resolve to do better

2009: A year government must resolve to do better

This is the time when people make resolutions to lose weight, quit smoking or drinking, get organized, get out of debt — all noble endeavors.

And in almost every case, such resolutions can apply as well to government and the officials entrusted with running it. They can trim spending, control their addiction to taxpayer money and find better ways of providing necessary services — all aimed at operating within their budgets.

For our part, we resolve to keep a closer eye this year on how government responds to the challenges of the day. Some of those challenges are greater than others, some will pay greater dividends than others.

Seeking development

As General Motors’ Lordstown assembly plant gears up for its new product, the Chevrolet Cruze, the Valley could be celebrating another major economic development coup.

Just as the Lordstown plant beat out several facilities in other states for the Cruze, the region is in competition with other locations around the world for a $600 million-plus project proposed by V&M Star Steel of Youngstown.

Given that between 500 and 1,000 jobs would be created, the company’s decision to expand its plant in Youngstown — the former Ohio Works in Brier Hill — would, indeed, be a coup.

Not only would the project entail a steel producing facility, but also a large-scale office building. Total cost: Close to $1 billion.

V&M would need additional land in both Youngstown and Girard, which is why the mayors of the two cities, Jay Williams and James Melfi, have joined forces. The administration of Gov. Ted Strickland has also been an active participant, with the state providing major tax incentives.

The new plant would increase V&M’s liquid steel production by more than two-thirds of the current capacity. The company would commit to maintaining operations for 20 years, which is reason enough for the Mahoning Valley to go all out to sell V&M on the merits of putting its new facility here.

Just as 2009 holds out the promise of major economic development initiatives, it could also be the year of change in the way government conducts business.

Consolidation and reorganization

While the consolidation of 911 emergency telephone systems in Mahoning and Trumbull counties have long been discussed, economic realities demand that public officials move farther and faster. Mahoning County held a meeting last month to discuss consolidation. The consultant hired to oversee the process referred to elected and appointed officials and safety force employees as the stakeholders in the 911 system. But the true stakeholders are the taxpayers.

Duplication of services in any segment of government cannot long be sustained, given the loss of tax revenue and the reduction of state and federal financial support.

The Regional Chamber plans to place on the November general election ballot in each county a government reorganization plan that would turn county government on its head. It would do away with the current multi-layered system and put the day-to-day operation of county government in the hands of a county executive.

Some offices would be eliminated under almost any charter, and the voters can count on elected officials to attack any plan as an assault on democracy. But taxpayers should ask themselves why, for instance, they are paying for a county recorder, auditor, treasurer and clerk of courts, when the functions of those offices could be overseen by two executives at most. These elective offices are expensive remnants of another age.

This year will also find the chamber continuing its campaign to reduce the cost of public primary and secondary education in this area by consolidating the administration of the school districts in each county.

The chamber is not proposing a consolidation of the districts, but rather the way they are administered. Areas much larger and with far greater populations than Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties combined manage to function with far fewer than 45 superintendents.

Restructuring is complicated and state law would have to be changed in some cases. It won’t be an easy sell, but at the very least there must be an intelligent, objective discussion about reducing the cost of public education in the Valley.

Working for the common good

Restructuring government should not be an adversarial process between government officials and taxpayers It shouldn’t take a chamber of commerce, or citizen groups or the press to agitate for change. Ideally, elected and appointed government officials should be leading the way. They would be looking for new ways of doing things, even ways that may sound radical.

Recognizing opportunities

The incoming Obama administration and Con–gress are preparing an economic stimulus package of as much as $1 trillion. No region is more deserving than ours of money from Washington and Columbus for roads, bridges, schools, health care, high-tech initiatives and the like, but that argument alone won’t win the day.

The tri-county area must have a list of shovel-ready projects to make it impossible for state officials to say no. Area officials and planners take note: Governors, including Gov. Strickland, define shovel-ready as projects on which construction can begin in six months and be completed within two years. That timeline fits the primary goal of an economic stimulus package, which is to get money into the hands of people and circulating through the economy. The area must be prepared, or it will lose.