THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, April 24, 1995 TAG: 9504220208
SECTION: BUSINESS WEEKLY PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Opinion
SOURCE: BY WOLFGANG PINDUR
LENGTH: Medium: 90 lines
The call for regionalism is increasing in intensity in Hampton Roads. The global economy demands more efficient production and delivery of services.
Often the most critical issues facing the region are not addressed and destructive competition between communities continues.
Citizens expect local governments to reinvent themselves and to provide a better return for the tax dollar. A new approach to regional government is an essential to the future of Hampton Roads. I recommend a two-tiered approach.
Cities and suburbs are looking more alike. In fact, the economic and social problems once associated with cities have now become the problems of the suburbs.
The price of suburban sprawl continues to be high. Federal legislation such as the 1990 Amendments to the Clean Air Act and the Intermodal Surface and Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 require regional approaches.
Hampton Roads has a history of voluntary cooperation among communities. There are clear indicators of progress both in terms of formal interlocal agreements and voluntary cooperation through the actions of the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission.
But agreements and voluntary cooperation are not enough. We must put into place new structural arrangements that can bring about an integrated metropolitan approach.
It is possible to have both local control by individual jurisdictions and the regional provision of services by a metropolitan agency.
There are three approaches to restructuring local governments:
The do nothing approach simply recognizes the reality of what we already have.
Those in favor of this approach argue that there is no need for change. They refuse to recognize the metropolitan nature of Hampton Roads.
Consolidation is the other extreme. This approach calls for the creation of a single unit of government that would replace the units currently in existence.
This single unit would provide a wide range of services on a regional basis. Local government would be largely unnecessary. The proponents of this approach argue that fiscal equity and administrative professionalism would prevail. The metropolitan areas of Jacksonville, Nashville and Indianapolis have consolidated many services.
Voluntary cooperation is the approach favored by many. It represents much of the current thinking in Hampton Roads.
Those favoring a voluntary approach argue that local identity must be maintained and that a limited number of services can be delivered on a regional basis.
They might favor interlocal agreement for police and fire emergency services, a regional coordinating group for tourism and a similar voluntary group that would support regional economic development.
A two-tiered approach is best for Hampton Roads. This approach enables local governments to maintain much of their local autonomy while transferring some services to a regional governmental entity.
The members of the regional entity could be either elected by the citizens of the regions or could be appointed by the governor. These issues would have to be addressed in state enabling legislation.
Under the two-tiered system the identity and character of individual communities would be maintained. Services such as transportation, sewage and water could be delivered on a regional basis.
A plan could be developed and implemented to share the responsibility for the provision of low income housing.
Parks and entertainment complexes would be built to serve the entire metropolitan area. Individual communities could maximize their assets and save taxes for their citizens by delivering services on a more cost-efficient basis.
Economic development would be viewed from a regional perspective and the competition among communities that causes the region to lose in the competition for industries can be eliminated.
Hampton Roads should follow the model of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. The Twin Cities implemented regional reform about 27 years ago. The metropolitan council implemented a revenue sharing plan for seven counties and 189 regional jurisdictions.
The region's communities have realized that they have a common interest in working together to solve the region's social problems.
The benefits from formally restructuring the government by creating a two-tiered system for Hampton Roads are clear.
We need to move from cooperation to service integration. It is time for a group of regional citizens from the public and private sector to build a true community. MEMO: Wolfgang Pindur is a professor of urban studies and public
administration at Old Dominion University.
by CNB