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Since
I mentioned the idea of a regional library the other day. I thought this
was an interesting article (beginning included) on merger talks between
Minneapolis and Hennepin.
Minneapolis, Hennepin merger talks heat up
As Minneapolis approved laying off nearly 200 workers and Hennepin County trimmed $27 million from this year's budget, talks aimed at merging services such as public health and public works also gathered steam. Mayor R.T. Rybak and County Board Chairman Mike Opat scheduled a news conference at 11 a.m. today to announce their hopes that some departments could be consolidated by year's end. Potential mergers have been on the minds of city and county officials for at least a year and were propelled by recent city and county budget cuts. City Council Ways and Means Chairwoman Barbara Johnson and Council Public Works Chairwoman Sandy Colvin Roy talked mergers with Opat late last week in what Johnson called an attempt to "oomph it up." Opat was receptive. "It's clearly time we accelerate our talks and see some results by the end of the year," Opat said Tuesday. "It's not necessarily going to be easy because some of these things are complicated by federal rules and state law. It may take some time." Today's announcement follows by a day the City Council's cutting of 378..................
So does anyone have thoughts of combining the services that these two government entities provide?
Josh Kroll
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