[May 08, 2013] EDITORIAL: Proponents of York Regional General Authority must address concerns Tweet May 08, 2013 (The York Dispatch - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Poor communication is jeopardizing a golden opportunity for the residents of three neighboring York County municipalities. The York County Community Foundation earlier this year proposed a multi-municipal authority to explore consolidation opportunities between York City and West York and North York boroughs. It came on the heels of West York's attempt to find out if it could get a better deal on police coverage from other departments. Although that effort failed -- the borough council didn't even open the bids it received -- there are other ways municipalities can save money by operating in unison, such as shared purchases and joint contracts. Those opportunities might not be readily apparent, and a regional authority, we believe, would be a good way to find them. The idea was met with interest from officials in the three municipalities, with each council taking various steps to move the idea forward. But recent comments from some officials and residents make clear there are legitimate concerns that, if not addressed quickly and publicly, could doom the York Regional General Authority before it gets off the ground. Most who attended Monday's West York Borough Council meeting -- moved to a fire hall to accommodate the crowd -- opposed the idea. Some expressed fear they'd lose control of their local government and would lose their local police, fire and public works services. One said the council "wants to give the borough away for nothing." It wasn't just West York residents expressing doubts. York City Councilman Michael Helfrich said he's not interested in taking any additional action until he gets more information. North York Councilwoman Sandra Hinkle said she was alarmed the foundation didn't provide additional information when it sent letters to the three municipalities, and that's why borough officials tabled the issue. If there's any hope for a regional authority, proponents must do more to explain what it would do, how it would function and, from what it sounds like, what limits would be placed on it. The bottom line seems to be elected officials and residents want assurance the authority could not take action without the consent of each governing council. That's how we understood it would operate -- the members would find areas of cooperation they could all agree upon, and they would take those ideas back to their respective councils for approval. If proponents have something else in mind, now is the time to start talking. West York scheduled a June 10 public meeting to gather more information about the authority. It will be either at the borough building or the larger Reliance Fire Co. We expect it to be at the fire hall. Hopefully, representatives from the York County Community Foundation and other regional backers attend -- and come prepared to address the concerns. ___ (c)2013 The York Dispatch (York, Pa.) Visit The York Dispatch (York, Pa.) at www.yorkdispatch.com Distributed by MCT Information Services [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]