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Ellen Belcher is the Dayton Daily News opinion pages editor. She writes about state government, education, the environment, higher education and all things Dayton.
Martin Gottlieb is an editorial writer and columnist for the Dayton Daily News opinion pages. He focuses on the political process itself and does such national issues as war, the economy, taxes and Social Security, as well as a hodge-podge of local and state issues.Home > Blogs > A Matter of Opinion > Archives > 2009 > July > 27
Monday, July 27, 2009
Editorial: Don’t doubt it, government has changed forever
The recession that began in 2008 eventually will end. But an important question looms for local governments across the Dayton area:
What will the new reality look like?
If there’s one safe bet, it’s that this part of Ohio will emerge with permanent scars. Some of what’s been lost will not return. The smart move now is for local elected officials and government administrators to prepare for a very different future.
Patrick Titterington, service and safety director in Troy, said as much last week when he argued against that community using “gimmicks,” like furloughs and wage freezes, to avoid budget deficits. Instead, he said, Troy must look for systemic changes, reshape itself, get smaller.
This path is not optional. Some offices, jurisdictions and public employees have been better at recognizing this than others.
Last week, Montgomery County sheriff’s deputies showed good sense in accepting a one-year pay freeze that, however painful, at least will prevent more deputies being laid off. But if revenue is flat or falling going forward, this will not be the last time deputies will be asked to save the county money.
County leaders also must do their part by rigorously reviewing practices and labor contracts. They have to be able to defend all spending.
This also applies to the city of Dayton. City Manager Rashad Young is leaning hard on his biggest unions to agree to concessions — which include a pay freeze and dropping extra pay for some holidays — to close a $6 million deficit. He’s run into special problems with the police union and is threatening to lay off 11 officers.
City workers already have agreed to these changes, and firefighters, on Friday, voted to accept a similar pay freeze and suspension of extra pay for some holidays. But police officers are still holding out for a raise.
Mr. Young is not the bad guy. His responsibility is to scour the budget for ways to save. When he sits down with the unions to bargain for new contracts, in this climate, he’s obligated to propose cutbacks — while trying his best to protect services.
There are still too many perks in Dayton’s labor deals. It’s crazy, for instance, that the city is considering layoffs at the same time it is shelling out extra holiday pay to police officers who already were paid for a day off, and giving “overtime” to officers summoned to court during their work hours.
The firefighters’ contract gives them Good Friday off.
These sweet deals have to end.
Understand that the Dayton Fire Department’s vote on Friday merely gets it through today. A large number of firefighter retirements are coming in the next few years. That may be an opportunity to reduce the force less painfully than through layoffs. But, at the same time, a rapidly shrinking force could compromise service.
A thoughtful reorganization would make a big difference. What size department makes sense going forward? What firehouses and equipment should be in service and when? These hard questions must be confronted and answered.
The wrenching changes that governments have to go through aren’t just happening to public employees. Other workers are going through similar retrenchment. No one is being singled out.
Government leaders and unions can work together to decide how to get through this. Or they can go to war.
But if employees expect public support, they can’t choose war. And neither should their bosses.
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