Waiting to see the details

We’re intrigued by Linn County Supervisor Louie Zumbach’s call during his recent state of the county speech for more cooperation between the county and local governments to streamline public services. But the lack of detail on how that could happen has curbed our enthusiasm, for now.

Zumbach pointed to how inflation has increased the cost of government, and expressed hope that local governments could work together to save costs. Zumbach did not mention what specific services could be consolidated, although he has hinted that the county’s sustainability department, solid waste management and roads are possibilities.

“What is yet to be seen and tested in future county budgets is your board's ability to fund needs over wants, and to perhaps work creatively with other local governments to provide services throughout the municipalities in Linn County without reinventing the wheel and saving tax dollars,” Zumbach said, according to reporting by The Gazette’s Marissa Payne.

But it’s going to take more than pronouncements and hints to make collaboration happen. It’s going to require the hard work of creating a shared vision between local governmental entities. That hasn’t happened and needs to happen for the idea of cooperation to become more than lip service.

The current county board has been in place for just five months, so its strategic vision has yet to take shape. Myriad factors including political conflicts have hampered more cooperation between the county and the city of Cedar Rapids, although the new board now has a chance to make a fresh start.

We’ve said it before and we’ll keep on calling for joint meetings between local governments that could facilitate the creation of a common vision as the foundation for more collaboration. Sitting at the same table to work out areas for collaboration in public is better than the behind-the-scenes conflicts that have shaped county-city relations in the past.

The Better Together 2030 initiative in Johnson County is a good example of how local governments can work together to tackle issues that affect all communities. It could be a model that informs Linn County’s efforts to cooperate between jurisdictions and with other regional businesses and organizations.

We appreciate any time a public official calls for greater regional cooperation, because challenges spill over political boundaries and consensus solutions stand a better chance of succeeding. We’ll be watching closely in the coming months to see if Zumbach’s words become actions.

(319) 398-8262; editorial@thegazette.com