League of Women Voters
of Salina, Kansas

League calls for joint task force
Organization completes study, neither advocates nor rejects consolidation; "It's a huge task, and it's not the business of the League to figure out what the city should do." David Norlin chairman, study committee

April Middleton
Salina Journal

The Salina League of Women Voters soon will be asking the city and county to establish a joint task force to continue studying consolidation -- an issue the League has been studying for months. "I think the League is saying this is your job and you need to continue to look at it and hear people's opinions and figure out where to go," said Gina McDonald, president of the Salina League of Women Voters.

After having completed its City-County Consolidation Study, which included interviewing city and county staff and having two public meeting, the League at its annual meeting Saturday afternoon, approved its position statement on the issue.

Nowhere in that statement, though, does the League suggest or reject the idea of the city of Salina and Saline County consolidating.

Instead, its position is that the two bodies should create a joint task force to look at the issue, explore its advantages and disadvantages and bring a recommendation before the citizens within one year.

"It's a huge task, and it's not the business of the League to figure out what the city should do," said David Norlin, who chaired the league's study committee.

While studying the issue, Norlin said it became clear to the study committee that there was some resistance to the idea of consolidation, particularly among people outside of the city limits.

It also seems, though, that there are some clear advantages, such as cost savings and more of an opportunity to secure planning grants, Norlin said.

Citing good crowds at the consolidation meetings the League hosted earlier this year, McDonald said that the issue appears to be one people are interested in.

Presenters at those meetings included Dave Kerr, former state senator from Hutchinson; Don Moler, director of the League of Kansas Municipalities; Sandy Jacquot, chief counsel of the League of Kansas Municipalities and Randall Allen, director of the Kansas Association of Counties.

"It was obviously a hot topic and needed addressed," McDonald said.

Hear all voices

In it's position statement, the League suggests that there should be a balanced representation of city and county residents on the task force. Other demographics such as gender, race, age and socioeconomic status also should be represented fairly.

A task force should gather input by holding public meetings across the county, surveying citizens and researching consolidation in other places, according to the position statement.

The League will contact both commissions separately and ask to be included on the agendas of a future meeting. At those meetings, the League will formally ask that the commissions create a task force to continue studying the issue.

Norlin said it's important that everyone has a voice in the discussions and the decision of whether or not to consolidate is left for local people to decide.

"As we looked at other consolidation models we realized that each place has its own personality and dynamics and one model doesn't work for every place," Norlin said. "Consolidation can be what each place wants it to be."

McDonald said she thinks the League's study of the issue to this point has been a success, because it's made people talk about the issue.

Discussions, though, shouldn't stop, she said.

"We recognize that this is a huge issue and we think everyone should have a say," she said. "We will just try to see that it continues to be studied and doesn't just drop off. It's not an issue that's going to go away."