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Overgrown in Ohio

Two hundred years later, local government deserves a hard look

An Ohio looking to improve its global competitiveness must examine the many layers of its local government. The Fund for Our Economic Future has taken up the worthy task in Northeast Ohio. Now an effort has begun to gain support at the Statehouse. State Rep. Larry Wolpert has proposed establishing a commission that would look across the state at local governments and their structure.

On Thursday, Richard Cordray, the state treasurer, and representatives of business organizations voiced their support for the idea put forward by the Hilliard Republican. Businesses, especially, know all too well the bureaucratic tangle too often posed by local government. They aren't so much concerned with tax rates as the added cost of dealing with the many offices and departments.

Ohioans rightly scratch their heads at neighboring communities battling to lure companies across little more than county lines. Such episodes are not sound economic development. Neither does it makes sense for so many townships and smaller cities to have their own police departments.

No surprise that local officials cried foul at the prospect of a commission. One explained that Ohioans already have the authority to revamp local governments and they haven't used it. The follow-up question: Which local official will lead that effort?

To be sure, commission recommendations rarely translate directly into law. In this case, a vigorous conversation must be started. Local government in Ohio is outmoded and inefficient. Failing to take a hard look promises to be costly.

An Ohio looking to improve its global competitiveness must examine the many layers of its local government. The Fund for Our Economic Future has taken up the worthy task in Northeast Ohio. Now an effort has begun to gain support at the Statehouse. State Rep. Larry Wolpert has proposed establishing a commission that would look across the state at local governments and their structure.

Get the full article here.


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