Cut expenses, cut taxes

Every dollar counts. It's a phrase that keeps getting repeated when people start talking about the Erie County Blue Ribbon Committee. The committee, which was appointed by the Erie County commissioners to review how local governments are funded and how they spend taxpayer money, and what ways there might be for them to cooperate more, collaborate more and streamline community services to get the most for the best possible value. It's a tall order. It's a challenge, indeed. We get that. The folks in Erie County might be the only public officials in the state looking at how the total tax burden on residents might be adjusted — lowered — through building a better plan, becoming more efficient and implementing change that threatens to old "fiefdoms" rule mentality that separates us. The committee, a panel of experts who've mostly each been in the public sector in some fashion for many years, has already met three times, taking input from community members at public forums. There is a seriousness to this committee we fell in love with when it was first proposed last year. The idea came after Serving Our Seniors and the Register teamed up for public forums to talk about the real estate revaluations and property tax hikes that were finalized just a few weeks ago. Those forums attracted hundreds of residents, many of whom are getting squeezed by tax hikes on their homes that state lawmakers made possible after they eliminated inflation guards in the tax code. In Erie County, local governments, school districts and other tax authorities are getting a total of $10.1 million in windfall taxes that voters never approved. We appreciate Erie County commissioner Matt Old's letter to the editor this week that pushes back on recent criticism of county regional dispatch. We published his letter today, as a column on this page (look left). We agree with Old's view, and with the view of Erie County Sheriff Paul Sigsworth. Regional dispatch has been a success — a resounding success — from the start 15 years ago when it was introduced. Any way you cut it. The structure that developed, with the county taking on 40% of the annual cost and the biggest other part of it getting paid by the city of Sandusky and Perkins Township, is as reasonable a split as we can think might work. The city spends about $150,000 less per year than it did in 2009 before the switch was made to regional dispatch. In sum total — across communities in Erie County — regional dispatch has delivered better service while reducing expenses, by millions. That was the promise, a promise made and one kept. This editorial board was a proponent of it at that time, believing that consolidating the service was a better, smarter idea than having separate dispatch services in Sandusky, Perkins, Huron and Milan, and the sheriff's office. It's been working all these years and we find recent criticism from some corners baffling, and a little out of touch. Residents across Erie County are decidedly disinterested in expanding expenses or extending any fiefdoms. If anything, we want to be the county in Ohio in which services are improved or enhanced while taxes get cut. Make it so. * Upcoming meetings open to the public — 5 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 4 at Huron Public Library, 333 Williams St., Huron — 5 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 11 at the Erie County Downtown Office Building, 247 Columbus Ave., Sandusky Residents with feedback for the committee can write to blueribbon@eriecounty.oh.gov or call 419-627-7673