It s a fact that nine independent cities coexist in our compact Coachella Valley. That means nine mayors, nine city councils, nine city managers, nine city attorneys, nine fully staffed departments of planning, finance, public works, code enforcement, etc.
Critics say it is.
They charge that this glut of duplicated local governments, however well intentioned, squanders millions on bureaucratic redundancy. Of course, most elected and appointed city officials it s their turf, remember, and their jobs find the status quo eminently satisfactory. But there are two notable exceptions Jean Benson, who has sat on Palm Desert s city council since 1984 and Riverside County Deputy CEO Rob Parkins, who previously served almost nine years as city manager of Palm Springs. Both suggest they could then spend the savings on actual services. Ms. Benson and Mr. Parkins agreed to share their thoughts with PSL Editor Stewart Weiner and Valley Observer columnist Hank Stokes.