The state of Ohio is running out of money — a lot of money. Communities from Warren to Wooster are running large deficits. And the economists are predicting a prolonged recession.
In short, we are in a financial crisis that many believe is more severe than any previously faced by our region’s communities. One way to look at the challenge is: “The system is broken and we’re broke.”
The question before us is what changes are we prepared to make to improve our region’s ability to cope with the short-term crisis and prosper in the long run? It seems fairly clear that continuing to do things the way we’ve done them isn’t going to work. What new systems can be put into place to make our region’s governments more efficient and effective, and help the region become more attractive to growing companies?
One business organization, the Youngstown-Warren Regional Chamber of Commerce, has endorsed an effort led by the Northeast Ohio Mayors & City Managers Association to implement regional planning and revenue sharing in the region. You can read more about their endorsement in a story written by Larry Ringler of the Warren Tribune Chronicle. You can learn more about the Regional Planning and Revenue Sharing initiative here.
