Beloit and Janesville Target "Little Kingdoms and Fiefdoms"

Beloit, Janesville councils meet, discuss collaboration. (Janesville Gazette, 6/8/2011)

Excerpt;  Beloit and Janesville city council members said Rock County’s two largest cities must work together to save money, and that means getting rid of the “little kingdoms and fiefdoms.”

Council members gathered Tuesday for a meeting that Beloit President Kevin Leavy said was “a long time coming.”

The cities face the same struggles and challenges, and it is time to sit down at a table and have a discussion on how best to help one another, Leavy said.

The councils decided to:
-- Inventory what each city does.
-- Inventory major equipment to see if any can be purchased and used jointly.
-- Bring division heads together to discuss ways to share.
-- Consider collaborating on purchasing, although Beloit Manager Larry Arft said Beloit already probably gets the best prices by bidding through the state.

Beloit and Janesville collaborate on programs such as the county’s emergency call center and neighborhood and housing initiatives, saving on administrative costs.