The first joint meeting last month, which was dubbed the Community Partnership Forum, was hosted by Lakota Schools and also included officials from Butler Tech and the West Chester and Liberty Chamber Alliance.
There were plenty of topics to discuss, especially given the changing landscape of Ohio’s school funding and recent moves statewide and locally to reform property tax laws.
The main question for participants, said Lakota Treasurer Adam Zink, was: “Is there an opportunity to collaborate together … (for) all of us to do better for this community as a whole?”
Zink, according to a statement from Lakota officials, said he hoped “the forum will unite multiple community entities to explore joint strategies for strengthening local services and governance.”
Participants emphasized the importance of open dialogue, mutual respect and a shared commitment to making the greater community the best it can be.
“We all have a joint vested interest in making sure that we deliver as well as we can for the community,” said Zink, who is the chief financial officer of the 17,000-student Lakota district that enrolls students from West Chester and Liberty townships.
Lakota officials said a central theme of the discussion was the impact of recent changes in state legislation on property tax revenues and school funding.
Leaders from various entities expressed concern about fiscal responsibility and the need to adapt to new constraints without reducing essential programming.
“I think property taxes and the new landscape of the state legislature, and there’s going to be a gubernatorial election next year, …so I think it’s navigating the unknown,” said Butler County Administrator Judi Boyko.
The concept of “economies of scale” also emerged as a promising avenue for cost savings, said participants.
Liberty Twp. Trustee Tom Farrell discussed pooling resources for purchasing, maintenance and facilities, and the opportunities it would offer to deliver services more efficiently and effectively.
Such joint efforts “could be a big advantage going forward,” said Farrell.
West Chester Township Trustee Anne Becker agreed. “I do truly believe that the time is right for us as a … region to work a lot more structurally, organizationally, focused on shared services.”
“There are a lot of different things in our range of services that we provide, that if working together, we can do better. And I think that as a taxpayer and a representative of the taxpayer, I think that’s what I expected our governments to do.”
The group agreed to explore the formation of a regional council of governments, as permitted under Ohio law, to formalize collaboration and shared services.
Administrators from each entity will meet again in March to discuss legal frameworks, shared goals and potential cost savings.
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