Consolidation.......... (Rochester, Skaneateles, Homer: real estate, 2009, teaching jobs)

[ckhthankgod]

This article made me think, What towns, school districts, water districts and fire districts should consolidate with each other around the state?

A town consolidation wedding: When Homer met Scott - Today - syracuse.com

For instance, there is a school district in my area that doesn't have a High School and would probably be a great choice for consolidation.

[ki0eh]

I suppose it's a good idea to start with the pretty much non-viable entities and the ones where the center of gravity is really somewhere else. (Like Scott.)

Cincinnatus, Taylor, and Willet certainly could be one grouping; Truxton and Cuyler; Marathon, Lapeer, and Freetown (unless Freetown goes witn Cincinnatus); Moravia, Locke, Sempronius, Summerhill, and Niles; Tully and Otisco; Skaneateles and Spafford (bet the real estate people would love that one!); Pitcher, German, and Pharsalia; this could go on for quite a while...

[garmin239]

School districts big time. We already have layers and layers of do nothing administrators that collect big paychecks. Consolidating districts would get rid of some of these useless thieves.

[ki0eh]

I think a problem with school consolidation is that real people get pretty passionate about "their" school. I don't think people care as much or even know who administers their park, or plows their road, much of the time.

When I worked for a NY county I would always have to talk people through the part of whatever form where they were asked what city, town, or village they lived in. They pretty much always knew which county and which school district though.

When I lived in Iowa they had cities and counties, and the city limits were expansive enough to cover all of the non-agriculturally zoned areas. Apparently they used to have townships but abolished them except for the township historian. Iowa also relied much more heavily on the income tax vs. the property tax.

Pennsylvania has 2,500 independent municipalities and 501 school districts. Some fortunate service consolidation in past years I think must be what saved PA from being quite the tax hell of NY. Here are some differences:
-PA has no county roads (with very limited exceptions). In the truly rural areas, if the road's paved, it's a state maintained road. That removes one huge burden from the property tax.
-Social services are state administered. Medicaid doesn't come from property tax in PA!
-No town justices in PA - local courts are aggregated and somewhat professionalized (although still with elected justices, now called "magisterial district judges") Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System

[cheese9988]

I definetely support the idea of consolidation. Consolidation has worked well in other states. With our government and tax structure I cannot see how this would not benefit us.

The only real opositions I have heard to this are the labor unions and some people who like the idea of a more "local" goverment for thier community. The unions wouldn't do away with pay raises this year to save teaching jobs in Rochester, so I doubt they will change anytime soon.