Revolutionary Proposal to Build Region

A group of governmental leaders from throughout Northeast Ohio decided this week that the time is right for the region to change the way we do business when it comes to attracting and growing companies. Instead of having all of the region's communities compete with each other for business growth, they are recommending we plan together for that growth and agree to share a portion of the benefits of that growth with each other. It's not that radical of a concept. nationally, as it has been done elsewhere. But it would be a radical departure for Northeast Ohio, where our cities are sometimes so busy competing against each other that they forget the real competition is global.

Plain Dealer Reporter Tom Breckenridge captured the significance of the effort in this story and I encourage you to read it in full. Here are a few highlights:

Key leaders say they want to pursue a revolutionary proposal to plan for growth across 16 counties and share the new taxes that result.

The strategy would boost the region's lagging economy by minimizing the costly competition for new business among cities, supporters say. And it would stem the cost of sprawling development in a region that has seen little population growth.

"We have to reduce the cost of governance, and that's what this does," said Hudson Mayor William Currin, who is leading the effort. Regional solutions to our economic woes have been much discussed in recent years, yet little action has resulted.

This is indeed a rare opportunity to move from talk to action. For more background on this effort to implement regional planning and revenue sharing visit www.revenuestudy.org.