Oct. 5 Daily News editorial

Citizens in Longview and Kelso will have an opportunity next month to vote up or down on talks aimed at consolidating government services in the county. The November ballot will ask whether city and county leaders should continue studying the money-saving potential of merging city services.

It’s a non-binding, advisory vote, meaning the talks initiated by Cowlitz County Commissioner George Raiter early this year could continue with or without a show of public enthusiasm. But the vote is likely to carry a lot of weight, given that voters would have the final say on any proposed consolidation that came out of the process.

For this reason, we urge Longview and Kelso voters to give the talks a vote of confidence. There is nothing to be gained from short-circuiting this process. The talks cost taxpayers nothing, and they could pay off in lowering the cost of government. We think they will, given time.

City and county leaders certainly could use a strong show of support for their efforts. They’ve been at it for almost eight months now, and it hasn’t been smooth going. The issues are complex and challenging. Working through the complexities is made even more challenging by a natural resistance to change. Kelso Mayor David Futcher expressed frustration following a May meeting. He complained of “running up against folks who say ‘It can’t be done’ before we even look at it.”

There also be some understandable self-interest behind the resistance to merging city services. As Cowlitz County Commissioner Axel Swanson told Daily News reporter Tony Lystra following a meeting last month, “It’s a very contentious process. Swanson noted that when city officials are talking about merging redundant departments, they could be talking themselves out of a job. “That’s what mergers and consolidations do in many cases,” Swanson added.

That’s also how consolidating city services might result in cost efficiencies, saving tax dollars. The municipal and county leaders who gathered at the Cowlitz County Expo Center late last month came up with what appear to be promising possibilities. They recommended that the county’s five cities hand over control of libraries and parks to new metropolitan organizations. (“How many park directors do you need?” Raiter asked after the meeting. “One.”) Lystra reported that the group also recommended the adoption of new technologies and sharing of staff to reduce costs.

Cutting the cost of government is what these talks are all about. Raiter has repeatedly stated that he would support a consolidation of services only if it can be shown that the change would save tax dollars. We believe that government costs can be reduced through the consolidation of some services. But coming up with a good plan will take time. Citizens in Longview and Kelso would do well to encourage city and county leaders to give this process adequate time by voting in November to continue the merger talks.