A tip of the hat this week to an apparent win-win idea in the town of Clay.   Some time ago, town leaders approached county government with a suggestion to eliminate the Clay police force, in favor of covering the entire town with added patrols by the county sheriff's department.  Sheriff's patrols for years have already been covering large portions of Clay.  Town fathers thought it made sense to go all the way.   It will reportedly save money for Clay town taxpayers and produce a more efficient law enforcement coverage for Onondaga County's largest township (60 thousand people living on almost 60 square miles).
 
There are at least 3 reasons why this particular approach to government consolidation is likely to work, where others have failed (notably, the brief shotgun mergers many years ago between Syracuse, Liverpool and Solvay police departments):
 
One: this was a bottom-up proposal.  The town government went to the county and asked for this.  
 
Two: Clay, unlike Solvay and Liverpool, doesn't have a town or village center.  While heavily populated, Clay is also spread out, lessening the need for the kind of local police presence you normally associate with a town or village.
 
Three (and perhaps most important): People who live in Clay will have the final say, in a scheduled June referendum.  County executive Joanie Mahoney told me this week she's confident Clay residents will see the wisdom of the plan and vote to approve it.  But if not, she says that will be the end of it.  There will be no attempt to force this idea down anyone's throat.
 
I'd be happy to hear what you think, and if you've got other suggestions about government consolidation where you live...pass them along.