Let's imagine, for a moment, that we have the opportunity to organize our state all over again--that, for some reason, every record of every political boundary was lost and we had the opportunity to carve the map into subdivisions that make sense in today's world--not the world as it was in the late 1700's.  Would the Ohio map look the same?  I doubt it.

I pondered this question as I sat through the first meeting of a committee organized by the Ohio Board of Regents.  The committee's charge is to examine co-located campuses, such as the one here in Marion housing Marion Technical College and The Ohio State University at Marion.  This examination is prompted by the state legislature, looking for ways to tighten Ohio's budget.  The House language specifically asks the Regents, through this committee, to examine whether it makes sense to combine co-located institutions into one, since they already share the same real estate.

There are arguments on either side of that question.  One is economic, that combining operations would save money in administration and eliminate turf wars that have sometimes marred relations between schools on co-located campuses.  On the other hand, administrators of those schools say their missions are sufficiently different that the colleges should remain separate.  In fact, they will argue, if they were not on the same campus, but were separated by a few blocks, they would not currently be under the microscope.  Both have good arguments that will, no doubt, be aired thoroughly as the committee undertakes its mission.

So I wondered, if it makes sense to consider consolidation in the case of co-located colleges, why not in other areas where public dollars are expended?  Why not examine county or city organization?  Why not review the logic of township government or our current system of school districts?  If we could do it over again today, given modern transportation and communications, would we have 88 counties in Ohio?  Maybe not.  What about townships?  Do we need 15 townships in Marion County, for example, with three trustees and a clerk each to govern 68,000 people?  What about a county council form of government, similar to a city council, with representation from various sectors of the county?  What do townships do that a county government couldn't do?

And while we're at it, given the deficits many school districts are projecting over the next couple of years, does it make sense to have multiple school districts, with multiple superintendents and administrative staffs to run the education process in a county?  Perhaps not.  Maryland, for example, has county school systems.  One superintendent and one board oversee all the public schools in the county.  Tax dollars are spread across a wider area.  Busses are shared in a county-wide pool.  Purchases are made in larger quantities.  Football rivalries grow between high schools, even though they may be part of the same county school system, not unlike current Ohio districts with more than one high school such as Dublin Coffman--Dublin Scioto or Hilliard Davidson--Hilliard Darby.  Loyalties are to individual schools, not school districts. 

One argument made on behalf of multiple school districts and multiple townships is "it's government closer to the people."  Is it really?  Quick, name your three township trustees or your local school board members.  When is the last time you attended one of their meetings?  And if the meeting was held in the center of the county, would it really be any less personal than if it was held in a township hall? 

Local elected officials are generally dedicated, hard working people.  However, in many cases, they occupy offices that were created in a horse and buggy society.  Counties were made the size they are so no one had more than a day's horse ride to and from the county seat.  Today, that trip takes fifteen or twenty minutes.  With fast cars, good highways, and the Internet, the definition of "local" undoubtedly has changed since our original political subdivisions were established. 

Companies routinely examine and change their structure to meet changing market demands.  Shouldn't government do the same?  Given Ohio's escalating cost of government, perhaps it is time to ask questions like these.  While we're at it, a total re-examination of our tax structure is in order.  Personal and corporate income tax rates are, in many cases, not competitive with neighboring states with serious consequences to job creation and graduate retention in Ohio.

Private industry regularly engages in programs like QS 9000 to examine their operations, eliminate waste and ensure quality.  What changes might result from a similar examination of Ohio's governing structures?