The area’s municipal officials voice widespread agreement about two aspects of regionalized programs and services. First, that establishing regional public services can be extremely challenging and painstakingly slow to come to fruition. Second, that in most instances, the outcome is well worth the effort. 

For years, state officials struggling with budget woes have encouraged, and in a few cases required, more regional efforts. The Day also long has advocated that municipalities strive to break down geographic barriers and work with one another to provide regionalized services ranging from animal control to sewers. Cost savings is a prime motivator for such efforts. In addition, we contend many services can be provided more efficiently and effectively via regional collaborations. 

As such, we are happy that more and more regional collaborations are becoming reality and saving taxpayer dollars. Municipal officials more often reach out and work with neighboring towns, even in this aptly named Land of Steady Habits where change so often is met with suspicion and skepticism. 

“Almost any service can be provided better if we all are not working in individual silos,” New London Mayor Michael Passero said. 

New London collaborates with Waterford and East Lyme on municipal water and sewer systems and successfully worked with Waterford to establish a two-town emergency communication system. The city united with the City of Groton to form and promote the Thames River Heritage Park. A Waterford-East Lyme-New London animal shelter also will soon be constructed in New London’s Bates Woods Park and labor talks continue with the goal of providing a select group of police officers from the three municipalities full arrest powers in any of the participating communities. 

James S. Butler, executive director of the Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments, which has a long history of promoting regional municipal cooperation, programs and services, said local officials are more often joining forces to discuss common problems, share high-cost equipment and strive to establish multi-town services. A January 2018 SCCOG study about shared service opportunities identified many areas that might be regionalized. These ranged from recreation and public health to public works and tax assessment. 

That study is serving as a blueprint for possible regionalized programs and services and numerous items suggested in the report have been achieved, Butler said. For example, as the study recommended, public works directors from throughout SCCOG’s 22-town region now meet regularly to share best practices and discuss possible collaborations. Butler said municipal leaders also take a geographically broad view when making decisions about the allocation of federal transportation dollars through the so-called TAP or Transportation Alternatives Program. 

Despite progress, some regional efforts continue to face obstacles. Proposals that involve sharing and combining personnel generally face resistance as labor unions and individual employees see such plans as jeopardizing jobs. As Waterford First Selectman Daniel M. Steward put it: Proposals that play with people’s lives are most likely to hit resistance. 

We acknowledge that not every regional effort will be a home run. A paucity of potential cost savings might make some regional proposals not worth the effort. But in a tiny state where residents deserve some tax relief, it makes no fiscal or common sense for 169 municipalities to operate in isolation from one another. 

“The study showed there is some low hanging fruit and we are starting to grab it,” Butler said about recommended regional collaborations. “We are seeing progress, but it has to happen faster.” 

We agree and urge municipal officials to continue this important work, no matter how slow the pace of progress might be. 

The Day editorial board meets with political, business and community leaders to formulate editorial viewpoints. It is composed of President and Publisher Timothy Dwyer, Executive Editor Izaskun E. Larraneta, Owen Poole, copy editor, and Lisa McGinley, retired deputy managing editor. The board operates independently from The Day newsroom.