Neighbor cities see benefits to uniting

Talk of regionalism in Northeast Ohio typically begins with an ambitious look at countywide governance and ends with most of us too timid to take the leap.

But what if we began with baby steps?

What would you say about merging some of our suburbs? Are our municipal identities worth millions of dollars in duplicated services? Does a region of our size need hundreds of city council members, scores of fire chiefs and dozens of libraries?

Would those of us who live in Parma and Parma Heights, for instance, agree to unite if it would lower our taxes? Would those of us in Eastlake and Willoughby join hands if our fire protection might improve?

The Plain Dealer posed similar questions to our suburban leaders and neighbors for a second installment of "A Region Uniting?" series, which explores the possible benefits of increased cooperation among governments.

What we found might surprise you. Despite predictable misgivings, many of us would agree to mergers. Even some of us whose jobs would be lost.

Parma Heights Mayor Marty Zanotti is one. The reason: Survival.

Zanotti's city already struggles to pay for the services that its 20,000-plus residents expect. And that's with a 3 percent municipal income tax - the highest in the state. So what happens when that tax isn't enough to keep 34 police officers and 29 firefightersin uniform? Where will the money come from? The population is aging, and the city is fully developed.

One possibility is a merger with Parma, with four times the people and five times the land. The two suburbs have much in common, including a school district they share with Seven Hills.

The combined city - "Parma Plus" has a certain ring - would have more than 100,000 people.

And Parma Plus wouldn't need two mayors, two police chiefs, two fire chiefs, two law directors and - well, you get the idea. Just eliminating the salaries of overlapping administrators would save hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.

"If they put it on the ballot," said Lee Kamps, a 58-year-old insurance salesman from Parma Heights, "I bet it would pass."

South Euclid Mayor Georgine Welo would surrender her job in a merger. Her reason: Saving money.

Welo's city shares a school district with Lyndhurst. So what if the two neighbors pooled everything else, including the pools?

Lyndhurst would contribute Legacy Village, a retail village with a regional draw. South Euclid would bring Notre Dame College, a few manufacturers and proposed development at the Cedar Center shopping plaza.

The new city of "Euclynd," with nine square miles and more than 36,000 people, would be about the size and population of North Olmsted. Yet North Olmsted spends $21.6 million a year, or $11.6 million less than the operating budgets of South Euclid and Lyndhurst. What if Euclynd could get by with the same?

That would save every resident hundreds of dollars a year.

Richard Resnick, 49, a banker who lives in University Heights, could see his bedroom community merging, but it depends on the partner.

An obvious possibility would be Cleveland Heights -the two suburbs share a school district and a library system. But Resnick said that business-rich Beachwood would be a better match.

"Beachwood Heights" would be slightly bigger than South Euclid. It would include John Carroll University and University Square shopping center, and more than 3,000 businesses, an upscale shopping mall and access to Interstate 271.

"Communities should choose their partners with an eye toward eliminating some of today's weaknesses in local tax bases." Resnick said. "If we don't, we're just buying a few more years before the crisis again becomes acute."