Awakening the Sleeping Giants?

A motion to form a committee of the whole for the purpose of exploring municipal combinations and school regionalization was approved unanimously by the Middletown Town Council at its February 16, 2010 regular meeting.

The Middletown Town Council was the first political body on Aquidneck Island to take official steps to legitimize efforts to promote the collaboration of the three island communities.

Now the question is: How long will the governing bodies of the other two communities be willing to sit on their hands and give lip service to municipal combination and school regionalization? Do they really think that it is going to go away? Are they so insulated from the realities of the state budget deficits and dramatically decreasing state aid that they are not willing to at least make a good faith effort to substantially reduce expenses by consolidation of services?

Finally there appears to be some political will - at least in Middletown. Now let’s see if their companion communities also have the political will.

What can be expected from Middletown’s committee of the whole and from the others, if Newport and Portsmouth can make the good faith leap? Well, not too much is really necessary at this point.

There just needs to be a discussion of the sticky issues, such as fiscal benefits and regional governance, because that’s where the real future of consolidation lies. What can each of the three communities live with?

Each committee – assuming that there will eventually be three – should identify, for example, the areas of government where consolidation would bring greater efficiency and financial benefit. They need to determine the acceptable distribution of a regional school committee and propose a facilities plan for a regional school district if one should be proposed. They need to look at the potential for savings and balance it against the changes that would be required.

Then, after they have each found the place that their communities can live with, they can decide if and how they want to move forward. Middletown has shown that it is willing to take the first step. Now let’s see if the other communities have as much political courage.