In his column, “County works best when we work together”, Jeff Hawkes observes:
“…In effect, a gaggle of cooks prepare our growth management banquet without a master chef to keep egos in check and make sure the dishes complement one another…
“No one would suggest that the county’s 60 municipalities are self-sufficient islands with the closest neighbor over the horizon…
“….there are times when a municipality will assert its self-interest to the detriment of the rest of us. How we get around that is by building on the examples of interconnectedness that sprouted in the past 10 years.
“On a regional scale, 11 municipalities adopted the Growing Together comprehensive plan and agreed to ‘address their needs and aspirations with solutions that cross jurisdictional boundaries.’
“And on a countywide scale, a first-of-its-kind economic-development plan is in the works. Its aim is to advance a common economic agenda that leaves no part of the county behind.”
WATCHDOG: Commendable efforts, no doubt. But sort of like herding cats! A wag of the tail nevertheless.
By the way, do we need 60 municipalities in the county? Do we need any muncipalities? Must we forever be a prisoner to history?
