Times of Northwest Indiana
When municipal officials in Lake County talk honestly with each other, they recognize the need to pursue at least some kind of consolidation to cut expenses.
Maintaining a sense of community identity is important, but so is serving the taxpayers and citizens better by performing government functions more efficiently where possible.
Dyer officials deserve credit for opening the discussion of consolidation of services at a recent meeting the town hosted.
Schererville Town Manager Bob Volkmann made a case for the feasibility of sharing services, such as consolidation of dispatch services.
Some people don't want equipment they've paid for being used to benefit residents in other communities, Volkmann said. He hopes those opponents will look at the big picture and see the greater good.
Consolidations are happening elsewhere in Indiana.
Tom Bredeweg of the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns noted the successful merger of Zionsville with Union and Eagle townships will create the state's third largest city. That will bring additional clout to that city.
But for now, consolidation of services seems the most likely and most promising scenario for the 19 cities and towns in Lake County and for the 11 municipalities in Porter County
State Rep. Mara Candelaria Reardon, D-Munster, noted at that meeting in Dyer that the state allows communities to borrow up to $3 million for up to six years to finance the transition costs of an efficiency project.
"I hope you will look at this legislation as a tool you can use as you move forward in your discussions," she said.
The state funding to help communities merge functions like fire protection and police dispatching should be put to good use in Northwest Indiana. Communities need to take these money-saving steps, so let the state finance the transition costs.
That's what smart governance is all about.