Intergovernmental Cooperation

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Intergovernmental Cooperation

• Timothy W. Kelsey, Ph.D.
• Professor of Agricultural Economics

Cooperative Extension
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Is this anything new?
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Agenda

• What is Intergovernmental Cooperation?
• Why consider doing this?
• How to do it

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IntergovernmentalCooperation
Is NOT
Consolidation
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The Ideal

• For services where it makes sense
• Provide services more effectively and cost
  efficiently than you can do alone
• Provide higher quality services than you can do
  alone
• Maintain local autonomy decision-making

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Why Consider Doing This?
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Youre Already Involved with Your Neighbors
Local Tax Dollars Collected, Lackawanna County
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Your residents are already intergovernmentally
connected
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Why municipal officials need to work with school
districts

• Local Governments
• Planning authority that affects where people
  live, work, play, what services are needed
• School Districts
• Educate the children living in the district

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Municipal Cost Index
American City County
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Year House Built
1939 or earlier
1950 to 1959
1970 to 1979
1990 to 1994
1999 to 2000
Lackawanna County Pennsylvania average
Source City-data.com
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Lackawanna County Population
U.S. Census
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Population drives

• Demands for services But fixed costs for
  infrastructure?
• Ability to get revenues
• Ability to spread costs
• Whether able to provide at low per-user cost

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Economies of Scale

• There are cost savings for some services if have
  more users
• Savings varies by service, quality provided,
  location, infrastructure needed

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Costs of government services vary dramatically
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Per Capita Spending on Govt Services in
Lackawanna County
lt2,000 population
(excludes Scranton)
Service Highest Median Lowest
General Govt 241.95 55.52 20.77
Police 176.80 50.80 0
Fire 79.31 20.52 5.61
Code Enforcement 60.20 2.96 0
Public Works 441.44 94.61 19.51
Data DCED Audit Reports 2006
http//munstatspa.dced.state.pa.us/Reports.aspx
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Per Capita Spending on Govt Services in
Lackawanna County (excludes Scranton)
lt2,000 population
Service Highest Median Lowest
Solid Waste 169.12 13.11 0
Culture Rec 110.23 10.87 0
Libraries 90.32 0 0
Debt Service 382.71 22.10 0
Total expenditures 1,766.96 438.62 120.11
Total taxes 516 226 78
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How to do Intergovernmental Cooperation?

• Build upon existing relationships activities
• Start small
• Look for common interests and problems
• Dont forget looking inside, too!

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Communication WITH OTHER Jurisdictions
Does
Member of joint planning commission 8
Planning commissions occasionally meet together 7
Development plans are referred to other municipalities 13
Informal communications 29
Contact through County Planning Commission 26
Does not interact with other planning commissions 36
2001 PSU land use effectiveness study
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Communication WITHIN the Municipality
Does
provides information to governing body 78
meets on regular basis with governing body 23
recommends improvements or capital project for Comprehensive Plan 33
.sends plans to water or sewer authority for comments 40
provides authority copies of new plans land use ordinances 26
meets authority to discuss water and sewer needs in the municipality 25
2001 PSU land use effectiveness study
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How to do Intergovernmental Cooperation?

• Build upon existing relationships activities
• Start small
• Look for common interests and problems
• Dont forget looking inside, too!
• Engage the public!

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Engage the Public

• Ask them - does it matter to them? Why?
• How are they affected?
• Do they care?

Youll likely findmost citizens dont care about
municipal boundaries they care about the
services they get, and the taxes they pay
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What Works? Examples

• Informally lend equipment?
• Purchase some supplies together?
• Talk with officials from other local governments?
• Are served by water or sewer authorities that
  cross municipal boundaries?
• Share support for libraries or parks?