Valley residents’ support is key to proposals’ success

With the economy in the doldrums and taxpayers in a disagreeable mood, you would think that collaboration among local governments is now standard operating procedure. You would be wrong.

The many layers of public agencies and departments guarantee duplication of services — and waste of money. To be sure, there are some forward thinking officeholders who have embraced change and have developed cooperative initiatives, such as central purchasing.

But on the whole, the state quo reigns supreme — for now, we hope.

Indeed, there may just be a way to get public officials to think outside their parochial boxes. A program designed to promote local government collaboration has been launched by the Fund for Our Economic Future, made up of more than 100 foundations, organizations and philanthropists from 16 counties in Northeast Ohio. Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties are participants.

The Fund has put up $300,000 to finance projects that best illustrate inter-government collaboration. It launched a competition and received 39 proposals from this part of the state. A screening committee selected the nine finalists, including two from the Valley.

Both reflect the type of creativity the Fund would find compelling.

However, the public will decide which of the nine finalists should share the money — up to three could be selected. The top vote-getters will be declared the winners.

That is why the residents of the Mahoning Valley need to have their say. The two Valley proposals are:

UMahoning/Youngstown Regional Information System (MYRIS), which involves the county auditor’s office, city of Youngstown, Boardman Township, Austintown Township and the city of Canfield creating high-speed connectivity to local governmental units. The system would provide access to critical information to assist law enforcement agencies within the participating political subdivisions; general information technology support; and, disaster recovery.

UMahoning River Corridor Web site encompassing Lowellville, Struthers, Campbell, Youngstown, Girard, McDonald, Niles, Warren and Newton Falls. The aim is to implement an interactive and comprehensive web site featuring detailed information about land available for economic development in the Mahoning River corridor.

The participating communities would share in providing matching funds to implement the project and share the cost of managing the Web site.

To learn the details of each proposal, Valley residents should access the following links: www.efficientgovnow.org/Proposals/abstractR.html; and, www.efficientgovnow.org/Proposals/abstractZD.html.

Residents can cast their votes on the web links, by telephone at (877) 771-5206 or with a mail-in ballot available at public libraries. The voting deadline is July 31.

Each person can vote for up to three proposals, but from a purely selfish standpoint, we believe Valley residents should support the local projects.

Just on the merits of the projects and the involvement of various government entities, the this region deserves to be in the winner’s circle.

But there is another compelling reason the Fund should select at least one of the two projects: The availability of $4 billion in stimulus funds designed to bring broadband service to communities in the United States that are not served or are under served.

In announcing the program, Vice President Joe Biden said it is a first step “toward realizing President Obama’s vision of a nationwide 21st century communications infrastructure — one that encourages economic growth, enhances America’s global competitiveness and helps address many of America’s most pressing challenges.”

The goal is to expand public computer center capacity and encourage sustainable adoption of broadband service.

Parallels

The parallels between what the Obama administration is advocating with regard to information technology and what the two Valley proposals are endeavoring to do are clear. The money from the Fund For Our Economic Future could be used to attract the federal dollars.

While we urge support for the Valley initiatives, we are compelled to take note of a news story on the front page today that details the disagreement between the Western Reserve Transit Authority and the Niles-Trumbull County Transit over the division of a federal transportation grant.

There is no reason for these two public transportation agencies to be at logger heads. Several months ago, we urged officeholders from Mahoning and Trumbull counties and western Pennsylvania explore the creation of a regional transit system.

But parochialism has prevented any serious discussion of what would be a significant move toward inter governmental cooperation. It is noteworthy that the federal government certainly sees merit in viewing the WRTA, the Niles-Trumbull County Transit and the Shenango Valley Shuttle Service as a single entity when it comes to federal funding.

A metropolitan service would have been an ideal project for the Fund For Our Economic Future competition.