I mean really read this article.
Joining forces
Townships are wise to consider merging fire departments
Friday, January 05, 2007
Officials in Clinton and Mifflin townships are willing to consider something that doesn?’t usually come naturally to government types ?— ceding turf ?— and they should be commended for it.
Clinton Township Fire Chief Randy Stickle and his Mifflin Township counterpart, Jim DeConnick, are looking into merging their departments as a way to save taxpayers money.
This also might be the only way to survive in the long term, especially for the Clinton department.
Both townships are shadows of their original selves, most of their land having been annexed years ago by Columbus or Upper Arlington, in the case of Clinton, and by Columbus or Gahanna, in the case of Mifflin.
Clinton, especially, has struggled financially for decades.
It consists of two pockets of land separated by a big piece of Columbus.
It maintained two fire stations for years until closing the one in the township?’s western section in the 1990s and contracting with Upper Arlington for protection.
The Mifflin Township Fire Department serves, and thus collects taxes from, much of the land annexed into Gahanna, so it has a stronger financial foundation. Still, townships in Ohio are ill-designed to serve urban areas, and officials of urbanized townships need to be creative to justify their existence.
Often, people move to rural townships because they want more open space and, in some cases, fewer rules about what they can do with their property.
And some happily pay higher property taxes, through fire, road and police levies, to have a simpler, more accessible form of government.
But those attributes become less advantageous when township land is developed with urban-style small lots and is surrounded by municipalities. The townships?’ inability to impose income taxes leaves them hardpressed to raise enough money to provide the services their residents expect.
That?’s where Clinton and Mifflin townships find themselves, and state and local leaders and taxpayers should consider the wisdom of maintaining these remnants of a type of government intended to provide only basic services to relatively undeveloped areas.
In the meantime, joining forces for fire protection could be a good first step.
''But those attributes become less advantageous when township land is developed with urban-style small lots and is surrounded by municipalities. The townships?’ inability to impose income taxes leaves them hardpressed to raise enough money to provide the services their residents expect. ''
Paying attention yet?
Joining forces
Townships are wise to consider merging fire departments
Friday, January 05, 2007
Officials in Clinton and Mifflin townships are willing to consider something that doesn?’t usually come naturally to government types ?— ceding turf ?— and they should be commended for it.
Clinton Township Fire Chief Randy Stickle and his Mifflin Township counterpart, Jim DeConnick, are looking into merging their departments as a way to save taxpayers money.
This also might be the only way to survive in the long term, especially for the Clinton department.
Both townships are shadows of their original selves, most of their land having been annexed years ago by Columbus or Upper Arlington, in the case of Clinton, and by Columbus or Gahanna, in the case of Mifflin.
Clinton, especially, has struggled financially for decades.
It consists of two pockets of land separated by a big piece of Columbus.
It maintained two fire stations for years until closing the one in the township?’s western section in the 1990s and contracting with Upper Arlington for protection.
The Mifflin Township Fire Department serves, and thus collects taxes from, much of the land annexed into Gahanna, so it has a stronger financial foundation. Still, townships in Ohio are ill-designed to serve urban areas, and officials of urbanized townships need to be creative to justify their existence.
Often, people move to rural townships because they want more open space and, in some cases, fewer rules about what they can do with their property.
And some happily pay higher property taxes, through fire, road and police levies, to have a simpler, more accessible form of government.
But those attributes become less advantageous when township land is developed with urban-style small lots and is surrounded by municipalities. The townships?’ inability to impose income taxes leaves them hardpressed to raise enough money to provide the services their residents expect.
That?’s where Clinton and Mifflin townships find themselves, and state and local leaders and taxpayers should consider the wisdom of maintaining these remnants of a type of government intended to provide only basic services to relatively undeveloped areas.
In the meantime, joining forces for fire protection could be a good first step.
''But those attributes become less advantageous when township land is developed with urban-style small lots and is surrounded by municipalities. The townships?’ inability to impose income taxes leaves them hardpressed to raise enough money to provide the services their residents expect. ''
Paying attention yet?
