County Council has a motion before it that, if approved, would allow for a feasibility study of privatizing, absorbing into County government, or leaving untouched its largest related authorities (PAT, SEA, Airport, and ALCOSAN). Presumably the intent of the legislation is to determine the best way to carry out the functions performed by these special purpose authorities. Sort of like the way the County is to examine its own internal operation every four years through a sunset review report, a report that has not been undertaken since 2003.

If the motion is to pass, one would think there would have to be a pretty quick undertaking of the study: later this week there is another resolution pending that would allow ALCOSAN to extend its corporate life (as of now under its articles of incorporation it is scheduled to expire in 2039 at the ripe old age of 93) and it is a safe bet that the other three authorities-as well as some inside County government-will make arguments as to why those entities should stay outside of the County organizational chart.

Proponents of the study should know how stubbornly hard it will be to change the status quo of the authority structure, considering that the County’s largest municipality still has a Stadium Authority that owns no stadium and possibly soon a Parking Authority that owns no parking assets.