County Change Offers Opportunity for Progress

The pace of progress in Northeast Ohio is accelerating and one of the biggest opportunities for real change is now at hand. Cuyahoga County, which is home to more than one-fourth of Northeast Ohio residents, is embarking on a new form of government in the wake of the passage last week of Issue 6. But will changing the form of government result in a more collaborative, efficient government advocated by partners in Advance Northeast Ohio? The Plain Dealer has provided thorough coverage of this and related issues, including this recent story by Laura Johnston.

As we saw earlier this year with the EfficientGovNow competition, government officials and the public are eager to embrace collaborations that improve government services and lower costs. One of the key goals of a restructured Cuyahoga County government should be to encourage more collaboration among county agencies and other local governments -- inside and outside of Cuyahoga County.

Another major opportunity for progress is embedded into the charter. Each year county officials are required to develop a five-year economic development plan. That plan should leverage the work of the region's economic development organizations, including Team NEO, BioEnterprise, NorTech, MAGNET, the Minority Business Accelerator 2.5+ and JumpStart. A stronger, more efficient, effective Cuyahoga County can be an invaluable asset in accelerating the transformation of our region's economy. This is an opportunity that must be seized.