The Ohio office of Budget and Management has released a report that says local governments and school districts could save millions of dollars by sharing services.
The agency’s Randy Cole says local governments can save millions by doing things like using regional data centers and sharing equipment . Cole says it’s being done successfully already in some areas of the state.
RC: "The city of Greene, and Greene City Schools up in Summit County have aggressively pursued shared services. they have a shared administration building. The city doesn't have a police department they contract with the county sheriffs' office for police protection. with the county for... is a shared service for building inspections and the health department. They've combined those things, though doing it on a broader scale, they've saved, in that specific example 7-8% of their 26 million dollar budget through shared services."
Cole says the cost savings in his report are developed through recommendations by previous administrations as well as Governor Kasich’s. Kasich has long been an advocate of shared services as a way for local governments to recoup some of the budget cuts handed down from the state.