Here & There Column 12-8-09

Run Government Like A Business

Does it take brilliant thought from business orientated people to show government how to run their business using strict business principles?
Whatever is going on with Sullivan County government has everyone asking....do they know what they are doing?
If it isn't the changing climate of waste fees (just another tax) or comments "that a Band-Aid approach is no longer sufficient," or the unloading of a just completed $3 million fleet garage and associated offices and the comment that the county doesn't want it anymore along with the lack of prudent long range planning with the landfill.......folks everywhere are saying local government is broken.
Week after week we read of the steady increase of property taxes throughout our municipalities.
For the most part our elected officials do not want to address the main issue so they take what appears to be only way out as they come up with excuse after excuse as to why they have to raise taxes or add this fee or that fee.
Like many local jurisdictions in the United States, Sullivan County faces serious fiscal stress as a combination of higher costs for existing services and reduced tax revenues produce budgetary shortfalls.
Most local governments rely on economic growth to generate higher revenues but the present economy and loss of jobs does not paint a rosy picture.
We have all heard the standard local government statements that the demand for services provided by local government has increased, the Medicaid budget keeps going up and of course local governments have had to increase their contributions for employee retirement benefits.
Budget cuts are now being forced upon local governments which ultimately result in loss of jobs and services and of course what we the taxpayers are seeing......those steady tax increases.
Where will it ever end?.........it never will unless local governments start thinking about planning ahead and using government sharing of services, consolidation and reducing the many levels of local government.
Reinventing government should be at the top of the agenda for all municipalities and there is a direct need to put the proper relationship between a Democratic government and its citizens.
With our townships, village municipalities and county government operating within a 30 minute drive of each other there is definitely a costly duplication of services and local government services often have human resources or equipment that is not effectively utilized, creating excess capacity.
Any local business experiencing financial difficulties will close unprofitable stores and there is no reason why governments should not consolidate, share services and merge to save money.
As we approach 2010 let us all wake up and smell the coffee, remind your local politicians that the time is now to plan ahead, consolidate and share to save money and help in the reduction of the tax load on local taxpayers