Economy prompting regional cooperation

The Utica OD reported that recent conversations are focusing on regional cooperation, according to Rome Mayor James Brown said Wednesday during a visit with the O-D Editorial Board.

And the economy is shining the flashlight, he said.

Ideas about consolidation and a willingness to work together might have existed before, but the current state of the economy seems to be forcing efforts to become more serious, Brown said.

“There’s a glimmer there,” he said.

A two-hour meeting on Jan. 26 with Brown, Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente, Utica Mayor David Roefaro and officials from the city of Sherrill serves as an example of consolidation initiatives that have started to move forward, Brown said.
But real change will require more than just officials, he said.

Residents of Upstate New York need to ban together and create a voice that will bring more attention to economic development and other upstate issues, Brown said.

The kind of regional unity that fought the proposed New York Regional Interconnect power line could make a real difference on other issues often ignored by downstate officials, he said.
“If we had a force like that, maybe we could be listened to,” Brown said.

During a later phone interview, Picente said he agrees that the economy is pushing the need for consolidation and cooperation to the forefront.

Picente said he talks regularly with Brown and Roefaro, but even more communication is needed. And following the Jan. 26 meeting, Picente has been looking into possible consolidation in the areas of law enforcement, technology, purchasing and tax collection, he said.

Taxpayers banding together to push for the consolidation would help with the efforts that “we need now more than ever,” Picente said. An effective consolidation that saves money needs to take place before the end of the year, he said.“I think we’re heading down that path,” he said. “But I think people need to realize – it’s a lot more than flipping the switch and making it happen.”