Consolidating government entities and services can mean savings, which catches the attention of taxpayers, but it also worries officials who like things just the way they are. 

At my previous newspaper, I lived in a town of about 14,000 that has two school districts. That means two administrations, two school boards, two athletic directors, two special education directors, and the list goes on.

Some residents think the districts, divided by a river, should consolidate. And even a fair number of politicians privately believe that’s a good idea. But few want to come forward publicly, for fear of offending friends and neighbors who feel otherwise.