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Opinion

November 11, 2009

<b>Raleigh, local communities need to look at Metro again</b>

Anonymous The Register-Herald Wed Nov 11, 2009, 10:45 PM EST

Metro government is apparently dead in Kanawha County.

Officials said last week there was not enough public support to consolidate county and municipal government, so they won�t pursue it any longer.

�This is not going anywhere,� Charleston Mayor Danny Jones said. �It�s time to move on.�

Maybe it�s time Raleigh County becomes the leader in metro government in West Virginia. Such a move lost steam last year when a study indicated the local area didn�t qualify as a Metropolitan Statistical Area because its population, based on the 2000 census, was 46,935, just under the required 50,000 to qualify as an MSA.

As we�ve seen, both in the recent and not-so-recent past, consolidation in any form is a controversial issue. But it�s time to move beyond resistance to change and political turf protection, and focus on the costs and efficiency of services offered by local government.

First, however, local officials and residents must realize the importance of the 2010 census and demand absolute accuracy, not just in terms of an MSA designation, but also with respect to congressional and legislative representation.

That said, metro government, in varying forms, has worked in other parts of the country, and it can work here.

Many small municipalities throughout the state are struggling just to pay monthly bills and provide the minimum of basic services. Several no longer can afford to staff a police force, relying instead on the county sheriff and State Police, which in itself can be viewed as a component of metro government.

We�ve learned over the past few weeks that state government is facing shortfalls both in its general revenue budget and the State Road Fund.

Can smaller units of government be any better off? Perhaps with a few exceptions, the answer is no.

Government at all levels must operate more efficiently by controlling costs and eliminating duplication of services, and taxpayers must not only recognize this, but demand it.

Brushing aside the concept of metro government may be the easy and popular thing to do, but it shows no vision.

West Virginia cannot move forward by living in the past.

If different components of metro government can work for the betterment of the citizenry, they must be explored, not ignored.

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<b>Raleigh, local communities need to look at Metro again</b>

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