We remain unconvinced that Warren Worx is really necessary.

But the first question that city and county officials should have answered before making any commitments to the initiative is this — how long are city and county taxpayer dollars expected for Warren Worx?

The decision to fund the program takes on a different tone if the Warren County Chamber of Business and Industry is asking for a one or two year commitment or for a 10-15 year commitment.

The first year’s tab is $100,000 from the city of Warren and Warren County, but Jim Decker, WCCBI president and CEO, said local governments shouldn’t look at Warren Worx funding as just a one-year commitment.

“We’re not looking at this as a one year plan,” Jim Decker, WCCBI president/CEO, said in response to a question regarding the city’s ongoing funding commitment. “In our minds this is a new way of doing business. … This is a 10-15 year plan.”

Decker has said the chamber wants to find more individuals and groups to help pay the cost for Warren Worx in the future, including funding commitments in the coming weeks to hire a marketing director and come up with a branding plan.

But what if the other funding doesn’t materialize? What happens if the only funding ends up coming from local governments? And what if budgets change and the money being budgeted for Warren Worx needs to be reallocated in future years?

If Decker isn’t looking at Warren Worx as a one-year plan, then the city and county shouldn’t either.

The length of the commitment to Warren Worx needs to be considered before approving this first year’s allocation.