Voters elect 537 people to run the entire United States. (1 president, 1 vice president, 100 senators, and 435 representatives.)
In their regular elections, voters in Kent County, MI elect 637 people -- 100 more than the whole United States -- to run 47 local units of government (1 county, 12 cities, 29 townships, and 5 villages.) The estimate is that more than $650 million is spent each year by the numerous and individual mayors, supervisors, village presidents, city managers, deputy managers, planning directors, police chiefs, fire chiefs, attorneys, clerks, etc. (Grand Rapids, Michigan's second largest city, is the county seat.)
In an effort to save tens of millions of dollars every year, a small group of local officials pushed during the mid 1990's to more effectively coordinate government. Streamlining current services by just 5 percent, they figured, could save everybody some $30 million annually and make life easier for businesses and residents alike.
A solid, fiscally responsible argument to be sure, especially as state and local budgets go broke. But Kent County and its various jurisdictions failed to change, and the discussion now is dead. Perhaps Milwaukee County, WI, located on the opposite side of Lake Michigan, will have better luck as officials there launch a similiar debate.
