Imagine city of Colorado Springs mechanics maintaining El Paso County’s vehicles, or the county issuing city paychecks.

City and county officials think such consolidation can reap savings for taxpayers.

And, after talking about it for months, they set up a task force Tuesday that will look for ways to work together.

While officials hailed the idea, there was no mention of whether combining services would cut jobs.

The city and county already have eliminated a combined total of more than 300 jobs due to revenue declines amid the recession.

Asked later about layoffs, Commissioner Sallie Clark, who will co-chair the task force with Councilman Darryl Glenn, said she couldn’t predict the task force’s impact on jobs.

Clark said areas that will be examined include office services, information technology, procurement, fleet, public works, facilities maintenance, energy conservation projects, payroll, tax collections and animal control.

“We recognize we both are facing fiscal challenges in providing services to our constituents,” Glenn said.

Besides coming up with a work plan in June, Glenn wants to draw up a list of ways the two agencies already cooperate “to show this isn’t something new.”

For example, the city and county work together on the Regional Building Department, Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority, which collects a 1 percent sales tax for road improvements and bus service, and the Emergency Services Agency, which oversees the emergency ambulance contract.

The task force’s work will get help from the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce, which will provide input from businesses.

Chamber president and CEO Dave Csintyan said his group will “pull in all views on all topics.”

“We have an interest in making sure the decisions are in the best interest of all citizens,” Csintyan said.

City and county officials stressed the task force won’t look at consolidating governments like the city and county of Denver have done.

“We are very different forms of government and are not going to merge,” Commissioner Amy Lathen said.-Call the writer at 636-0238

Jeremiah and Joseph Fey were each given the Hero Award by the Colorado Springs Fire Department Tuesday. The 5-year-old twins woke up their mother and sister when their kitchen caught fire on May 1. Photo by MARIA ST. LOUIS-SANCHEZ/THE GAZETTE