It’s about time. Finally, everyone is talking about consolidation.
With the size of the budget deficit – $150 million in fiscal year 2008 and nearly $400 million in FY 2009 – the only real surprise is that it has taken this long for the subject to become a serious topic of discussion. But with 39 municipalities in Rhode Island, nearly all with police, fire, service and school personnel, this is where the serious discussions need to begin.
So now that it’s possible to think about the impossible, here are some of the things we would like to see made more rational:
For beginners, regionalized emergency-services dispatching – each town in Rhode Island does not need its own dispatcher.
Next, create a buying group for municipalities and school districts to take advantage of the benefits of bulk buying for commodities and services alike. Whatever can be bought should be under consideration for bulk purchasing.
More cosmically, state and local officials need to begin some clear-sighted evaluation of how services are delivered. Do Central Falls and Pawtucket actually need separate fire departments? Do the communities on Aquidneck Island need three police forces? And do Lincoln, Cumberland and North Providence each need their own school districts?
One legislator has even introduced legislation to combine five Western Rhode Island communities into one.
The hard truth – nothing should be off the table.
As Cranston’s director of administration said it best, “The way things are working just don’t work anymore.”
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