More reform, action still needed to prepare Ohio for the competitive Next Economy Greater Ohio Policy Center called a draft report, which was unanimously approved at a meeting of the Ohio Commission on Local Government Reform and Collaboration Friday, a modest first step toward increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of local government and fostering economic development in Ohio, but called for government leaders to quickly build upon the commission’s efforts.  Today is the statutory deadline for the commission to issue its final report, the culmination of 19 months of work to develop recommendations to increase the efficiency of local government, achieve cost savings for taxpayers and promote economic development.

“The report and its recommendations are a step in the right direction, but the pending state budgetary crisis makes real local government reform all the more urgent, as the gap between costs and revenues on the local level continues to widen with reduced ability for the state to make up these differences,” said Greater Ohio’s Executive Director Lavea Brachman. “To avoid crippling budget cuts in the next state budget and make Ohio economically competitive, local government must become more attentive to reducing costs through collaboration and consolidation. The commission’s recommendations are not the bold action steps required under the current dire fiscal and economic conditions.”

These issues require long-term attention, and, as a logical next step, Greater Ohio calls for the creation of a permanent, intergovernmental, collaborative body responsible for continuing the work of the current commission.  To read more, see Greater Ohio's press release posted on our website.