Try a little sharing

(Findlay) Courier: As school, city and county government leaders struggle to balance their budgets and ponder future tax requests, they may want to reconsider an old idea: sharing services.

Last year, the Kasich administration pitched it to governments so they could improve efficiencies and save money as a way to deal with state funding cuts.

So far, however, relatively few have bought into the idea.

A report released recently, “Beyond Boundaries: A Shared Services Action Plan for Ohio Schools and Governments,” cited only 51 collaborative efforts involving schools and governments across the state.

Those efforts, according to the 56-page report, have already resulted in nearly $1 billion in savings. Millions more, however, could be saved through additional agreements.

The report urges schools and governments to adopt a collaborative strategy that optimizes staff, equipment, facilities and other resources.