Published: May 16, 2008 01:08 pm            

City, county should work together

To the editor:

Bringing together duplicated services of the city and county makes good sense. It is certainly in the interest of all taxpayers to merge all the departments that that serve the needs of the area. Duplication of facilities and equipment alone should provide the incentive to save millions for the taxpayers.

We are approaching the LOST negotiations again and what better time to have professional help a part of the merger process. Without arbitration, the individual efforts will only amount to rhetoric and not on the realities of saving money and improving services for the taxpayers.

During the last LOST negotiations we moved in positive ways to settle the issues. With the election coming up we have the opportunity to elect those who can do the job.

Mike Babb was a great chairman and along with the present mayor of Dalton, the citizens will be well served. A positive step in this direction would be promoted if all the board meetings were held jointly or at least monthly.

Our city government has the opportunity to avoid minority control and allow all participation. Many property owners in the corporate areas have no voice or representation because their residence is in the county. That to me is “taxation without representation.” The city voters can vote in the county but, the county voter are not allowed to vote in corporate areas on their own city taxes.

All the merging of the past years have been very successful. Even if you do not merge the government itself, appointments by members of the elected bodies can serve together on the committees for each department.

The tax commissioner, tax assessor, solid waste, trade center and many others, serve both the corporate and unincorporated areas in good fashion. So can the other departments. It is time to tear down these barriers that promote contention and hinders growth and progress.



Odell Cochran

Whitfield County

        

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