Transcript Modernizing Local Government

Community Conversation:
Modernizing Local Government
Draft June 20, 2007
WE ARE AT A TIPPING POINT!!!

Things could get WORSE, or they could get
BETTER!
How You Can Help






Whatever your opinion, help spread the word.
Talk to your local representatives – let them
know you care.
Volunteer - join the work group, become a
speaker, lead a conversation circle, or
whatever!
Write a letter to the editor.
Connect us to other groups.
423-7832, [email protected]
Join The Partnership

Onondaga Citizens League
SYRACUSE 20/20
Greater Syracuse Chamber of Commerce

Groups participating in the conversation


Citizens Academy (Fall 2006 class)
Salina Republican Committee
Association of Town Supervisors
F.O.C.U.S Core Group Meeting
Camillus Rotary
Syracuse Rotary
Dewitt Rotary
What We All Want!


Young people staying
More and better jobs; growth
.. And local governments helping, not
hindering, progress
And Maybe We Can..!





Bring an end to “divide and conquer”
Increase strength, pool resources
ACT WITH COMMON SENSE AND
COMMON PURPOSE
Get better local government services at
affordable cost (taxes)
Narrow the gaps
How True is This!
Fragmented Government!




“Small box” governments ideal in 1800
In Onondaga County: 53* local
governments, 105 planning and zoning
bodies
The result: cost, complexity, confusion
“It’s easier and cheaper to go to some
other region, some other state.”
* 35 municipalities plus 18 school districts.
Without Local Government Unity to Make
Our Region Competitive… we get..





Loss of young – highest attrition in NY
Eventually, loss of baby boomers
Poverty concentrated in the city (almost
30% poverty rate, vs. 5% outside the
city)
Paying for roads, lights, sewers further
out, for fewer people
High tax burden
The Cost of Disconnect
“ The mismatch between governance
and the economy undermines the
competitiveness of places by raising the
cost of doing business, exacerbating
sprawling development trends,
squandering urban assets, and
deepening racial and class separation.”
Bruce Katz, Brookings Institution, OCL forum, May 17, 2006
Upstate’s per capita income gap with
U.S. widened in the 1990s
Stagnant average wages the main
contributor to slow income growth
Percent Change, Total Population, Upstate New York,
Downstate New York, & USA, 1980-2000
24.2
Percent population change
25
Upstate
Downstate
USA
20
15
13.2
10.9
9.8
10
8.2
5
2.4
3.5
2.5
1.1
0
1980-1990
1990-2000
1980-2000
Top Real – Estate Tax Burden
– Counties in the US
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Niagara (N.Y.) - 2.61%
Monroe (N.Y.) – 2.73%
Onondaga (N.Y.) – 2.64%
Wayne (N.Y.) – 2.61%
Chautauqua (N.Y.) – 2.60%
Fort Bend (Texas) – 2.58%
11. Tarrant (Texas) – 2.39%
12. Camden (N.J.) – 2.39%
Source: US News & World Report – 12/28/06
Spending Growth
Current Operations 1997-2004
67%
70%
67%
60%
50%
37%
40%
40%
30%
21%
20%
10%
0%
County
City
Towns Villages
Fire
Districts
Reasons for Hope






$5.4 billion investment on the horizon
Center of Excellence in Environmental and
Energy Systems; CNY as “Creative Core”
MDA’s 11-county Upstate Initiative for
Economic Growth
Growing coordination of workforce
development efforts (Journey 2 Jobs)
Town-gown relationships at all time best;
Connective Corridor
.. And several other developments moving
forward
CNY at a Tipping Point
Can we become America’s New
Energy region?
 It will take unprecedented
cooperation among local
governments!
 We must modernize local
government .. But HOW?

This is Our Strategy
And YOU can help!






Educate, heighten interest
Gather comments and ideas
Hundreds of people in conversation
Results on a web site
Build consensus on need for change
Hold a regional summit; make a choice
and draft a plan
Modernizing Local Government
WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS..
.. A. Ways to modernize, without
changing structure
..B. ways to modernize that require
changing structure
Intergovernmental Agreements
Already Happening




City-county (library, crime lab, etc.)
Town-town, village-town, villageschool district, etc.
Numerous examples: sharing,
merging, subcontracting, joint
purchasing, etc.
Some local officials are being farsighted and entrepreneurial – so let’s
keep encouraging them!!!
Right Where You Live!




Money is available to help towns and
villages explore ways to modernize –
Including the option of MERGER
YOU, the citizens, can help that to
happen
The process: study, hearings,
referenda
Re-organization for efficiency, cost
savings and quality improvement


County: smaller size of legislature
City: SyraStat
Two examples of evidence that even our
largest local governments can change if
they really want to; BUT THIS IS NOT
ENOUGH!
Structure Change
for Cities and Counties

What are the choices?
Successful models
from other parts of the country
Choice #1: One government
for 450,000 people
(going from 145th to 35th)






One chief administrator elected county-wide
One legislature with carefully worked-out
districting to ensure balanced constituent
representation, plus some “at large” members
One judicial system
Merged departments and functions
Smaller jurisdictions unaffected
Would require state enabling legislation plus
referenda in both city and county.
A Winning Strategy

A Message that Resonated





Unite under one mayor
Equal representation on council
No change in taxes, services
Make Louisville a real “first tier” city
KEEP YOUR CHILDREN IN LOUISVILLE
The Final Vote:
54% Yes
46% No
Before (2001) and After (2005)






Average income from $53,900 to $60,980
Population from 693,604 to 705,518
3.5% increase in economy
Savings in tens of millions of dollars
More people running for office, and more
volunteers wanting to help
Unprecedented collaboration across a sevencounty region – in all sectors, not just
government
Choice #2: Two-tier
City and county governments continue
separately, but..
 Certain functions deemed to be best handled
independently and across the county as a
whole are brought up to a higher level
 Such as.. Economic development, protection
of environment, land use to facilitate in-fill
development, etc.
 If an elected body, would require change in
state constitution
Miami-Dade, 1957



Restructuring achieved after a decade of
effort
Prompted by growth without planning, crime,
economic decline
Miami-Dade today..
- state leader in job creation, 4.3%
unemployment
- visitor business, IT business booming
- key connection to Latin America
Choice #3: Three-tier, or
genuinely regional government






Several counties involved, in collaboration with all
their core cities
Creating an “upper tier” body of government, all
other governments staying intact
Acting for the region as a whole on matters
appropriately handled at that level
Armed with significant authority over selected
matters, and a revenue stream
Elected by voters in the region as a whole, or
appointed by member governments
Would require a change in state constitution
Metro Portland, Oregon
(3-county elected government)


Established in 1995 after 25 years of
talks and steps
Some of the Outcomes..
- Strong economic growth
- Outstanding civic involvement
- Sprawl under control
- Poverty less concentrated
- Rejuvenated downtown Portland
What do you think?



A. Leave local government structure alone.
- Small governments mean local control
- Some people would unfairly lose influence
- It would be too hard to change
B. Change the structure.
- System itself hurts the economy
- Voluntary collaboration hasn’t worked
- Fragmented government is weak
- Change has led to growth in other places
C. Can’t decide – need more information.
If A: Leave Structure Alone

What do you recommend?
- Cooperation among governments is
happening naturally; encourage more
- Government representatives across the
region should meet frequently to talk about
regional needs and collaborate to meet those
needs, and save taxpayers money
- The system we have now maximizes
freedom of choice – don’t change it
If B. Change the Structure

What do you recommend?
- Encourage mergers among towns, villages
- Dissolve villages
- Merge Syracuse City and Onondaga County
into one government
- Centralize certain local government
functions (e.g. economic development,
land use planning)
- Create a multi-county regional level of
government to handle regional issues
If C. Can’t decide

What more do you want to know?
How You Can Help






Whatever your opinion, help spread the word.
Talk to your local representatives – let them
know you care.
Volunteer - join the work group, become a
speaker, lead a conversation circle, or
whatever!
Write a letter to the editor.
Connect us to other groups.
423-7832, [email protected]