2006
– We questioned and listened
We asked:
if we were to create
Marion City and/or County today, would we design a government
structure with 29 political subdivisions? With 10 fire services?
With separate city and county health departments? With 5 school
districts?
We heard:
those citizens who
participated in the EnVISIONing the 21st Century
process. Many suggested creative ways to consolidate government and
public service should be explored.
results
of the Marion County Needs Assessment in which respondents felt it
beneficial to consolidate fire districts and health departments.
2007 – We moved to action
We spoke:
with Marion City,
County and Township officials to seek their concurrence with a plan
to gain efficiencies, enhance productivity and/or realize financial
savings through consolidation of public services.
We financed:
a study to identify
potential reduction in cost through eliminating redundant service
deliveries and/or identification of improvement in service quality.
Departments studied were the City Parks and Recreation and the City
and County Health Departments.
We
obtained results:
from the
Maximus, Inc. report: “The County and City Health Departments should
consolidate operations into a single, ‘Combined Health District’.”;
“A combined District, operating from a central location, will
improve the
delivery
and overall quality of its services and programs not only
quantitatively – through
reducing costs – but also qualitatively.”
2008
– We advocated for change
We decided:
Upon
receiving resistance to encouragement to combine the Health
Departments, we decided to pursue a ballot initiative and where the
first in our State to utilize the Ohio Revised Code process to
combine health departments by a vote of the people.
We partnered:
with the
League of Women Voters, obtained over 2,100 petition signatures,
received approval from the State Director of Health, received Board
of Election certification, mounted an educational campaign for
voters, faced an active VOTE NO effort.
We obtained
results:
On
November 4, 2008 Marion City and County voters chose to support
savings for taxpayers and more efficient government by voting to
combine the City and County Health Departments.
