Elk Grove is doing what any city, including the other new ones in the area are doing, which is to extend its management to all of the services within its boundaries (which is why it became a city in the first place) and it will be a good thing when the district resisting that obvious and appropriate action, agrees to it.
Editorial: Peace in Elk Grove?
City, services district should end parks war
Published 12:00 am PDT Monday, March 12, 2007
Elk Grove's two major local governments are suing each other, which is never a good sign. The moment has come to stop the madness.
This is a turf war over parks -- who gets to plan them, build them, maintain them and finance them. Representatives of both the city of Elk Grove (which sought to take over many park duties) and the Cosumnes Community Services District (the longtime provider, once known as the Elk Grove Community Services District) are in private talks. It is far better for these governments to find a way to work together than to spend money on lawyers and public relations in an effort to make the other government look like the bad guy.
Frankly, neither side in this fight is an angel. We'll start with the city. Under the old City Council and the city manager who is still around, the city has taken a "we can do it better" approach to many public needs, from bus service to law enforcement. Making these choices was clearly in its discretion. Whether the choices were right or wrong, they came about under a prevailing culture that bordered on contempt of other governments. If Elk Grove can do things better, that reputation will have to be earned, not self-conferred.
It was anything but crystal clear, however, that the City Council, as it did in 2004, could decide to start planning to provide park services for a large new development known as Laguna Ridge. The community services district had long had the jurisdiction to collect development fees (via the city) for new parks, build them and maintain them. By simply usurping control, the city invited the fight.
The district, when it is not defending its turf in Elk Grove, is expanding its own turf and focusing on the other part of its mission -- firefighting services. Last year, the district expanded southward into Galt.
