The City and Town Councils Are the Responsible Parties

Today’s e-mail brought a concern from a reader about a potential conflict among committees that are exploring municipal consolidation and school regionalization. There can be no conflict.

Municipal consolidation is purely a function of the City and Town Administrators with the approval of the City and Town Councils.

As for school regionalization, legislation guides the process. Until the City and Town Councils agree to explore the concept of regionalization, there can be no forward movement, regardless of the good intentions of the groups that advocate for it.

The important premise is that the City and Town Councils are the responsible parties and can avoid state intervention only by acting affirmatively to explore the concept themselves.

We all know that the state budget is a mess. The Governor and the legislature are flailing about, looking for a way to cut expenses. State aid to the cities and towns has been cut dramatically, including aid to education.

Why do you think the state is promoting school regionalization? The answer is that, if the schools can be supported more economically by the cities and towns themselves, less state aid will be required and the state can reduce its budget.

In the last year we have seen some pretty draconian measures aimed at reducing the state budget – most of them directed at the cities and towns – as though we are wasteful spenders. While I can state unequivocally that Middletown has a well-managed budget, how long will it be before the state loses patience with our 3 communities – a vulnerable geographic unit – and mandates regionalization on its own terms?

Middletown for one will not sit back and let it happen because of political inaction. The Middletown Town Council has initiated its own exploration. I call upon Newport and Portsmouth to do the same.