Rensselaer and Albany counties are connected by five bridges across
the Hudson River. Thus, they are separated not by water, but by
suffocating provincialism.
That is why the revelation that the cities of Troy and Cohoes are exploring some sort of cooperative operations between their fire departments is such a breath of fresh air.There will be formidable obstacles, real and manufactured, to attaining such a goal. That's life, but honest debate about any project can trump hardheadedness and strengthen the final product. We'll see a lot of grandstanding from the usual suspects who love to stroke their own egos in the spotlight, but we also will hear some thoughtful opinions and suggestions from people who have the public good in mind.
Much is at stake here. The good residents of Troy and Cohoes, a pair of cities with long runs of financial woes and tough tax burdens, want top-notch fire protection but have to be able to afford it.
The people who have doggedly supported regionalism as a way to streamline public service costs will be rooting for a success story to support their vision of the future. They're still smarting over the in-your-face silliness of battles between elected officials over minor league baseball venues, convention centers and the like.
The money-people who would love to develop the riverbanks and environs for restaurants, upscale housing, marinas and the like but have been worn down by control-freak politicians and municipal red tape would see a cooperative arrangement as an enlightenment in local attitude.
Blending services often takes on emotional overtones unrelated to efficiency. Take school district mergers. Please.
History is replete with such mergers initially derailed by voters faced with the potential loss of such education staples as a sports program, a marching band or a cheerleading squad. I've already heard grumbling from Troy people who complain they'd give up something, real or imagined, by sharing services "over there in Albany County.''
Over there? To put it in perspective, the bridges linking the counties average just two-tenths of a mile each, the equivalent of a long city block.
Much as the sheer guts of Troy and Cohoes officials to bring up such a topic should be applauded, why stop there? Troy connects to other Albany County communities as well -- Green Island and Watervliet, for examples. Why not work them into the initial equation? The proximity can't be disputed. The downtowns of Watervliet and Troy are connected by the Congress Street Bridge. And the Troy firehouse on 6th Avenue is closer to the new River's Edge apartment complex in Green Island than it is to Troy City Hall.
Such examples abound. If accommodation can be reached for co-op fire service, why not examine trash hauling, ambulance services, housing inspections, public works departments. Even -- dare we say it? -- law enforcement? A regional police force certainly could be a cost-cutter, and improve services in such local trouble spots as the City of Rensselaer and its cesspool of police woes.
The Hudson River is a wonderful resource for the Capital Region. But it also has, in the minds of many people, become a wall between communities.
That sort of antiquated thinking is as arbitrary and man-made as are municipal boundaries on a map. People and their proximity to each other is the key to vibrant regions. We're long overdue around here to address it.
Cheers to the Troy and Cohoes leaders for at least looking into what they know will be a political hot potato.
