Although"turf battles" over some issues are expected to occur between city and county governments, the current tension between the City of Bakersfield and County of Kern is unacceptable.
To improve relations between the two, we need more face-to-face communication between City Councilmembers and County Supervisors and it needs to be more honest and open. Communication between the two bodies is now basically limited to quarterly meetings of the Intergovernmental Relations Committee (IGRC).
The IGRC is made up of three Councilmembers and two Supervisors. Unfortunately, this important committee has not been meeting regularly. Furthermore, the meetings have become largely ceremonial. The City and County are not taking the opportunity to honestly discuss their differences and negotiate solutions.
We must have the courage to disagree face-to-face in public rather than through negative sound bites in the media. We must put tough issues on the agenda like: universal refuse collection, urban sprawl and annexation, but discuss them in an in-depth, substantive manner.
The IGRC needs to meet regularly and the meetings must become real forums for important issues and change- not just opportunities to get together for lunch. The full Council and Board should also meet quarterly as a Committee of the Whole at times when more members of the public could attend.
This kind of dialogue is critical to improving cooperation between the City and County and their elected officials. Working together to create more value and greater service for our citizens must be our ultimate goal.
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