Is the City and County consolidating?

No, that’s a big exaggeration on some of the cooperative projects we’ve been doing lately. Atchison County is our friend and partner. We often hear from the community that we should find more ways to work together to save costs, so we’re trying to be responsive to that.

Because of the strengthened relationship between the City and County, we’ve been considering a handful of opportunities like going together on a VOIP phone system, repairing River Road’s base cooperatively, and solid waste solutions.

It’s also true that we’re taking some “baby steps” to explore co-locating administration and justice services. The County courthouse has its challenges and the City has been exploring building and remodeling options to bring more security to City Hall and address the space needs of our Police Department.

If something works out, great. If not, no worries. What you’re seeing is governments working together to try to bring greater value to your tax dollar. That’s all.