WALBRIDGE, Ohio — Walbridge and Millbury are both villages that exist inside the larger Lake Township. On paper, all three are technically different municipalities. But in practice, they have been sharing roads and resources for years.
With three mayors, three city administrators and three separate police departments, Walbridge Mayor Ed Kolanko said it's time to consider a merger.
"There's a lot of overlap, who's taking care of what road, who's taking care of what service, Kolanko said. "We all use the same trash collection service, possibly if we bid that out as a whole, could it actually save money for the residents? I would think so. Economies of scale kick in at every direction of our village as well as our potential city."
This isn't the first time consolidation has been suggested; the idea was first thrown around by village trustees in the mid-90s and failed. But Kolanko said he's revisiting the idea today not only because of the economic benefits and federal kickbacks this potential city would see, but it's also due to Walbridge and Milbury often losing staff to the higher-paying Lake Township.
"So is there a way to come together and do a better job by offering higher paying jobs, better benefits, and higher retention, and maybe this is it," Kolanko said.
While the idea is still in its infancy, there have already been positive reactions from Lake Township leaders. Kolanko said one trustee has responded positively, and Mark Hummer, the township's administrator and chief of police also sees a mutual benefit.
"I think it's certainly an idea worth exploring," Hummer said.
But Hummer said even with leaders on both sides in favor of the idea, it's a plan that will be decided by their constituents. And he said there will be conditions for becoming a city that citizens will have to decide if they're willing to accept.
"Right now, townships don't pay income tax," Hummer said. "That'll be a big thing. And the villages tend to have a lower property millage on their homes, so there are some things we'll have to overcome and make it make sense to our citizens."
Both Hummer and Kolanko said this is a process that will take at least two to three years before voters will see anything on a ballot, with numerous studies still needed before moving forward.
WTOL 11 reached out to Millbury Mayor Micheal David Timmons for comment, but haven't heard back yet.