Decades of watching city and county taxpayers pay for three overlapping levels of local government led this newspaper long ago to conclude our system is wasteful and inefficient. Voters cannot do anything about the third level, township government, on Nov. 6 with the county-wide referendum, but they can act to remake city and county governments into one, streamlined consolidated government.
If the referendum passes, the mayor and three county commissioners would be replaced by a single county-wide executive, and the city council and county councils would be replaced by a single common council. As it is written, if consolidation is approved, then 10 years hence the question of merging law enforcement could be considered. That time would allow ample opportunity for citizens to become comfortable with consolidation before taking up the law enforcement question.
This referendum represents a remarkable opportunity for county residents to modernize their local government and bring their community into the 21st century. Even so, much of the opposition has centered on whether a consolidated government would cost more. Pro-consolidation citizens have cited examples of almost immediate savings of nearly $1 million. Perhaps the more relevant point is whether the multilayered city and county governments we now have hold any promise for future savings. How is it frugal to have two executive branches and two councils?
The Yes! for Unification people have argued effectively that there are multiple reasons why merging the city and county would be best for city and county taxpayers.
In addition to the savings, the consolidated government would bring better representation. Currently on the three-member county commission and the seven-member county council, there is only one member who lives outside the city.
Citizens living outside the city now would remain in a separate taxing district, where they would, as now, pay only for services they receive. Past debt incurred with the current city would only be paid by those living within the urban tax district (the current city).
Currently, county residents outside the city pay 35 percent more for sewer rates than those inside the city. If the referendum passes, those rates would be balanced with rates currently paid by city residents.
There are other good reasons for approving consolidation, but the cold truth is if the referendum fails, the city may need to consider annexation in the future. Consolidation is a more positive approach for growing the city than annexation.
We know that change can be a difficult concept to accept, but in this case, with this critical vote, we truly need to change to a government structure that allows all to speak with one county-wide voice.
Please, vote "yes" on Nov. 6.