With money in short supply, governments must innovate

Two headlines in Saturday’s Vindi- cator illustrate the challenges governments at all levels are facing as a result of declining revenues and uncertain futures. The first, “County leaders still eye state aid,” relates to a meeting Friday of commissioners from nine counties and area legislators at which the loss of state funding was discussed. The second headline, “Townships to share dispatch system,” refers to a story about Boardman Township submitting a $1.7 million down payment for a radio-dispatch system it will share with Austintown. The two communities are looking to other safety forces in the area to use the system.

Such collaboration was given lip-service just a few years ago — even though this newspaper kept warning that the day of reckoning was fast approaching and that local governments had to take steps to prepare for the economic crisis. Our warnings fell on deaf ears, as evidenced by the refusal of officeholders to seriously consider, and act on, dramatic changes that would reduce the size and cost of government.

For the past several years, we have advocated the creation of metropolitan governments in Mahoning and Trumbull counties to replace the costly, many layered systems that now exist. Summit County has had such a metro system for many years, while last November, the votes of Cuyahoga County approved a change that has resulted in the creation of an elected county executive position and a 12-member county council.

Cuyahoga County residents obviously concluded that their money could be better spent by getting rid of the numerous elected offices that are inefficient and costly. Each officeholder in traditional county government operates independent of the others, which means there is no standard when it comes to levels of staffing, salaries and even hours of operation.

But with the revenue streams from the federal and state governments drying up, local officials are going to have to confront the new reality.

Local Government Fund

At the meeting of the commissioners from the nine counties, the state legislators and the executive director of the County Commissioners Association of Ohio, the main topic of conversation was the anticipated cuts in the state Local Government Fund. And while the participants shared ideas on ensuring that the reductions in funding from Columbus are not as deep as expected, there was nothing said about the need to change the very structure of county government.

At some point in the not too distant future, the issue will have to be broached. That’s because Republican Gov. John Kasich has made it clear that tough times will be around for the foreseeable future.

On the state level, the governor is pushing privatization and also has delivered a stern message with regard to public employees. He has declared war on the status quo.

Times are changing, and local governments must change with them.