New health department's improved efficiency requires a levy to pay for it

October 26, 2006, I wrote here how City Council labors, above all, to preserve city jobs, particularly as government workers would be affected by the proposed merger of city and county health departments. Read here how I pleaded: "Can we please just grow up, and do something - one thing - the right way instead of the political way?"

And the answer turns out, after all this time, "no, we can't."

The Advocate's Ripley-esque report on the proposal - (after years of screwing around about who's going to hold most "power") (a matter that occupied most of the Advocate's report) (a matter over which the city is still whining) (a matter about which nobody gives a damn except city and county politicians and health department employees) - says about the increased efficiency:

"All current city employees, with the exception of the health commissioner and the environmental director, would continue to be employed by the county."

So there goes that efficiency in delivery of government services we hoped to have. The other shoe will drop when we learn to what height the health commissioner and the environmental director will be elevated.

And worse, now they're talking about another levy to pay for this, though you have to read to the seventh paragraph to pick up on it:

"By combining the two departments, there is also an increased chance of passing a health levy, which would provide more money to the new department.

"If a levy is passed, the city contribution would be reduced based on the money collected from the levy inside the city."

A levy? A tax, for God's sake, to pay for this more efficient delivery of "health services?"

This is your Newark City and Licking County government at work. Incredible.