By Joyce Kryszak
Buffalo, NY – To regionalize, or not to regionalize, that seems to be the question in this year's campaign for Erie County Executive. The Republican incumbent, Joel Giambra is aggressively in favor of regional consolidations. His Democratic challenger, Dan Ward takes a more cautious, keep it close to "home rule" stand. Political analysts say the distinctions make it a pretty clear cut choice. But a few days before the election, many voters may still likely scratching their heads saying, what exactly is regionalism anyway?
Regionalism has been called everything from municipal cooperation to metro government. The possibilities and the arguments are almost endless. Hamburg attorney Kevin Gaughan offered perhaps the earliest discussion on the topic. It was Gaughan who organized the first conference on regionalism at the Chautauqua Institution in 1997. So, how does Gaughan define regionalism?
"Regionalism's essential purpose and its core goal is to revive an inner city," said Gaughan. "The underlying premise of regional reform is that no entity, no living body, can exist without a vibrant, beating heart. And in our instance, that's this magnificent city of Buffalo."
One pulse of that beating heart is the Community Action Center. It's a tidy beige bungalow on Woehlers Avenue, with a welcome banner gracing the front porch and steel bars detailing the windows. It was once a crack house. But community activist Rosa Gibson decided to change that a few years back. And a good many other things.
It's delivery day at the center. Pallets of food are rolled inside, while steam pours from the kitchen. A typical day for Gibson takes her from delivering meals to people in the neighborhood to delivering rants at public officials from the steps of city hall. Gibson says she's not sure what regionalism is supposed to mean. But she says whatever it is, people need to figure out how to save the city.
"We in the city of Buffalo -- the city of Buffalo, east, west, north and south, black, blue, green and yellow -- we are going to have to be together on one accord before this city is going to do anything but continuously go down, like it's going down now," said Gibson.
Regionalism advocate Kevin Gaughan calls this new awareness among citizens a victory. But he says, where politicians are concerned, it may be a case of be careful what you wish for.
"Now for over eight years, regionalism, what it means and what it can potentially do for our community, has been at the forefront of elections and political campaigns, let alone policy decisions by our elected officials," said Gaughan. "The challenge those is insuring that the purpose of the movement, essential goals, are not skewed by political prisms or being viewed through political prisms."
Gaughan says politicians are largely misrepresenting regionalism. He says it's really about sharing resources -- whether that be sales tax revenue or some other funding mechanism. Gaughan says consolidations, although perhaps worthwhile, are a mere sidebar of regionalism. He says the two distinct concepts should not be merged.
County Executive Joel Giambra has made governmental consolidations his trademark. Giambra says it's the new economic reality.
"The customer, the taxpayer, is just fed up with the whole idea of paying more and getting less," said Giambra. "If there was a chance to knock down the walls that have separated the east side from the west side, the city from the suburbs, that's what we're trying to do -- take barriers down that have prevented people from moving together in the direction that's going to bring hope and opportunity."
Giambra points to the merger of police services in Lancaster as an example of how his brand of regionalism is working. Here, residents voted to eliminate the village police department. The town police department, along with most former village police personnel, now cover both municipalities.
Captain Rick Zupelli says, so far, it's working well. But he says that doesn't mean it would for others.
"For us, I have to admit the time was right," said Zupelli. "We had a police chief who was leaving and another who was still active. So, it may not work in every community. I can't say whether it will or not, you'd almost have to sit down and look at the logistics."
Lancaster village residents based their decision on their set of logistics, including a study that showed as yet unproven tax savings. In other communities, however, residents have voted down similar proposals. In Alden several years ago, village residents overwhelmingly defeated a referendum to consolidate with the town of Alden. County executive candidate Dan Ward says that's how it should be in a democracy. Ward says residents should have the right to preserve their independence -- if they so choose.
"That's part of our local genealogies where people have come, and not just the towns and villages within them, but the various hamlets and the neighborhoods," said Ward. "That's part of our character and our charm and that's what makes us humans. People relate on community or a neighborhood level. I think, as much as possible, local decision making should devolve to the lowest level possible."
Regionalism guru Kevin Gaughan reserved hard endorsements or criticisms of either candidate. He says they are both good public servants and apt politicians. But, sadly, he says history has shown that you really can't be both a politician and a reformer.
"There's been a long line for instance here in Erie County of county executives who -- and I don't know what it is, perhaps there's something in the water -- but they get into office and they immediately start inserting themselves into town council and town supervisor races, and attempting to move out of government those people who disagree with them, rather than attempting to engage them in the new idea, in the new process," said Gaughan. "And that renders them a politician."
Gaughan says in order to effect the change that's needed, we don't need a politician, but a true reformer. And for voters next Tuesday, that could mean true regionalism is missing from the ballot on any line.