Posted on May - 11 - 2010

Two NE Ohio lawmakers look to give cities broader authority to share services

Two Northeast Ohio state legislators said they will go to Columbus this week with a proposal that will give municipalities broader authority to share services.

State Sen. Nina Turner and State Rep. Michael Foley, accompanied by with mayors Frank Jackson of Cleveland and John Licastro of Bratenahl, who is president of the Cuyahoga County Mayors and Managers Association, said they will introduce legislation to expand the scope of services that one community can pay another to provide.

At a news conference at the city of Cleveland’s service center on Carnegie Avenue, the legislators explained that state law currently allows communities to provide only police, fire and emergency medical services outside their boundaries.

“Our legislation gives municipalities more options to cut administrative costs and allocate resources more effectively,” Rep. Foley said. “If a street serves as a boundary between two cities, it makes sense for just one of them to plow the snow off the street.”

Mayor Jackson said many municipalities that have privatized services are finding their costs skyrocketing and are looking for lower-cost alternatives. He said turning to a city that retained its public services might provide a solution.

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