If better service is the goal, there seems to be little reason for the Douglas County treasurer to oppose a plan to continue offering services in Baldwin.

Efforts to deliver government services in ways that serve the public and reduce taxpayer costs deserve the support of all elected officials.

That’s why Douglas County Treasurer Pat Wells should get behind a plan proposed by County Administrator Craig Weinaug to continue to deliver services in Baldwin while making necessary budget cuts.

On Thursday, Weinaug distributed a list of suggested cuts to deal with an estimated $1.7 million budget shortfall the county faces this year. The plan would dip into county reserve funds, eliminate 12 county jobs and postpone construction of a maintenance and storage building at the Douglas County 4-H Fairgrounds.

He also recommended eliminating or consolidating the county treasurer’s satellite office in Baldwin. Eliminating the office and the convenience it brings to residents in the southern part of the county isn’t Weinaug’s first choice. He would prefer to work out an agreement that would allow Baldwin city officials to accept tax payments and register vehicles at the city offices. Such a move would require action from the Kansas Legislature this year, Weinaug said.

Getting such a bill through the Legislature poses challenges — challenges Weinaug says may be difficult to overcome without Wells’ support, which, so far, isn’t forthcoming.

According to reports in Friday’s Journal-World, Wells opposes the plan. The one reason she cited was “It’s not permitted by law.” The question then becomes: Are there other reasons? If the legal impediment could be removed, wouldn’t Weinaug’s plan be a reasonable way to continue services to county residents while making needed budget adjustments?

It would be too bad if the treasurer is opposing the plan simply as a way to protect governmental turf. The job of the treasurer’s office should be to provide the best possible services to county residents at the lowest possible cost. If allowing Baldwin city employees to perform some treasurer’s office duties accomplishes that goal, it seems silly to oppose it.

Weinaug’s idea was prompted by difficult financial times, but it seems like the kind of cost-cutting suggestion the county should be looking for on an ongoing basis. The treasurer should rethink the Baldwin plan and get behind the legislative adjustments needed to make it a reality.