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Change is something nearly every person and every organization resists. This is especially true for governments, which are entrenched in regulations, policies, and tradition. Nevertheless, Oswego County government must make changes and break from old ways of thinking because the tax base, economy, demographics, and public expectations of government are changing.

In order to bring about responsible change, government needs to undertake long-range and strategic planning. This is often difficult for government to do because so much of its daily work is done to fulfill short-term public needs and deal with immediate problems. Difficult, but not impossible.

Oswego County's Strategic Planning Task Force met for the first time in mid-May. Nearly 60 residents are serving on the task force's five subcommittees. The non-partisan task force is tapping residents with expertise, opinions, and perspectives from the public and private sectors. Members include legislators, government officials, private business people, union representatives, non-profit leaders, employees, and others. All are county residents who share a concern for our community's future and a commitment to help county government improve.

This task force is unlike previous attempts at government reform, such as Goals 2000 and the Center for Government Research's study. It will focus less on broad theoretical issues, such as organizational structure and employee-manager ratios, and more on concrete issues that face us, such as which public services do county residents need, and what is the best way to pay for them? Also unlike previous task forces, this one has no restrictions and its meetings are open to the public. Five subcommittees are identifying key issues facing county government in the years to come and developing practical strategies for meeting the critical needs of county residents and businesses.

The Sub-Committee on Government Consolidation and Cooperation is examining the structure and services of village, town, city, and county governments and school districts to identify opportunities for increasing efficiency and reducing costs through consolidation and cooperative agreements.

As the cost of providing public services increases, county government faces decisions about which services to provide. This difficult issue is being explored by the Sub-Committee on Mandated and Optional Services. This committee will look at current and future services demands, demographics, and mandates and provide the legislature with a framework for evaluating which non-mandated services should be funded and to what extent.

Economic development is essential to a prosperous community. The Economic Development Sub-Committee is examining what role government is playing or should play in effective development efforts. How can we improve efforts? What potential does our community realistically have for economic development, and what must we do to help our workforce and business community live up to that potential?

The Sub-Committee on County Finances is examining the financial structure of the county, its current and future revenue sources, spending patterns, and assessments. Its goal is to help the legislature prioritize spending needs.

Infrastructure has always been a basic responsibility of government - even the Romans built roads. The Infrastructure Sub-Committee is examining the costs, future needs, and alternatives relating to our transportation system, solid waste system, communications, water and sewer districts, and county facilities. Its goal is to help develop a capital plan that identifies short and long-term priorities in these areas.

I'm very grateful to the volunteers who agreed to serve on this task force. They are a good group of thinkers who bring a wide range of non-partisan, real-world experience and perspectives to the task. Their enthusiasm and commitment at the first meeting made me feel even more optimistic about this effort. I can't wait to see the results.