Moreover, he said, it must be a local decision. Other leaders from the KAC's Allen to Sen. Lee, agree on that point. If Lane and Scott counties became one, he said, it would produce a bigger and more diverse tax base. Those who don't want to change will say we aren't going to save any money. That's a cop-out.
Economies of scale is a basic principle of economics.
People who want to keep things as they are aren't necessarily the ones paying the bill. Ehmke admits his advocacy of strategic planning, with consolidation as an option, likely played a role in his Republican primary election loss to Larry Powell, Kalvesta, for the 117th District seat in the Kansas House of Representatives. Remedies can be achieved in more ways than merely changing county boundaries. Cities and counties can share services or even merge certain departments. Wallace County Appraiser Randy Sangster serves in the same capacity in four other counties.