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2009
November
We need a new approach to create a new county government

We need a new approach to create a new county government

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November 13, 2009

Posted by: Joe Roman

All of us in Cuyahoga County need to take a deep, communal breath before we go hurtling recklessly toward the establishment of our new county government.

We have a precious opportunity before us, a first-ever chance to efficiently re-mold and improve our county government. Voters earlier this month overwhelmingly passed Issue 6, which the Greater Cleveland Partnership strongly supported. Issue 6 will result in a single county executive and numerous other improvements that will create a structure that can be much more conducive to economic development and job creation.

That’s the good news.

The potential bad news is that too many of us may not realize that there’s still plenty of hard work to do, if this new government is going to be the best it can be.

Already, some of us are too riveted to old-fashioned horse race politics surrounding who the first county executive might be. That’s an important decision, but there’s plenty of time to deal with that. There are more significant questions and opportunities that should be dealt with first.

One approaching issue we simply must concentrate on is passage next spring of the county’s health and human services levy. (More on that vital issue in a future blog.)

The decisions we make about this new government in the coming weeks and months will deeply affect Cuyahoga County in the years and decades to come.

We should seize this opportunity and engage in healthy, constructive discussions that question some very basic issues: Should the county shed or divest itself of some of its responsibilities and/or assets? Should it enter into stronger partnerships with other entities in providing some services? Should it take a stronger role in some areas than it does now?

These are the general questions, but there are many more specific issues that I think we should explore. Here’s just one example: Should the county and the city both be involved in the operation of airports?

Now is the time for the county, the City of Cleveland and the rest of us to think how we can best use public assets and maximize our efficiencies. This new county government needs to step boldly in that direction–it can be and should be a pacesetter for a heightened move toward more regional cooperation.

The public has provided a significant mandate for change. But before we get too involved with selecting a new captain, we first need to carefully and thoroughly refit our ship of state.