City-County Consolidation: Reform, Regionalism, Referenda and Requiem

by

“This article indicates that city-county consolidation continues to be considered a viable means of metropolitan reorganization although political obstacles often prevent adoption. The argument is made that there is sufficient support for reform, to be considered, but not enough political support for referenda passage.

There is a definite regional influence on where consolidations occur, with the West currently replacing the South as the region of most adoptions. Demographic data and information on recent court decisions are presented to indicate that city-county consolidation is less likely to be adopted in the future. The article concludes by suggesting that a new set of metropolitan reorganization questions must be asked, particularly with reference to the role of state government in the area of urban governance.”

Published in Political Research Quarterly | T. Cronin | 1979 https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Abstracts-Cronin-Cromwell/7f71104a96c0c8a6cd9a87a50418d32d65493a78

Related posts:

  1. Voting in City-County Consolidation Referenda Voter acceptances of city-county consolidations have been few. Since the end of World War II, consolidation has been attempted twenty-four times and has succeeded only in Baton Rouge, Nashville, Jacksonville, Columbus and in three Virginia areas. The difficulty of obtaining...
  2. Suburbs without a City “The case highlights the power dimension of city-county consolidation, often overlooked by advocates of public choice as well as those favoring metropolitan consolidation.” City-county consolidation is advanced as a good government reform to promote efficiency, equity, and accountability and, more...
  3. Where are the cost savings in city–county consolidation? “Although the results of the four cases are mixed, we find that in some cases there are cost savings associated with city–county consolidation, more frequently in specific functional categories than in overall spending. We also find that it is necessary...
  4. Impact Analyses of City-County Consolidation on Urban Growth in South Korea “The results show that city-county consolidation has a significantly positive impact on growth of population and urbanized areas. Also, consolidated cities, compared to those failing to be consolidated, show a stronger tendency to balanced growth between former central cities and...
  5. The Expenditure Impacts of Unification in a Small Georgia County: A Contingency Perspective of City-County Consolidation ” This study offers evidence of greater efficiency and reduced costs in general government or administrative services when the consolidation occurs in a relatively small county. Based on an analysis of real operating expenditures in the United Government of Athens-Clarke...
  6. A Reassessment of City/County Consolidation: Economic Development Impacts “Over the past two decades, a large body of literature has examined the fiscal consequences of city/ county consolidation. Much of this research suggests that consolidation results in expansions in local budgets and in the scope and quality of municipal...
  7. When Efficiency Is Unbelievable: Normative Lessons from 30 Years of City–County Consolidations “…the essential element of a successful consolidation is a group of civic elites who define the economic development vision for the community, determine that the existing political structure is incapable of supporting and implementing that vision, and convince the voters...
  8. The economic impact of city–county consolidations: a synthetic control approach “The results from the three cases explored indicate that consolidation does not guarantee development and actually can have negative effects. Additionally, consolidation can deepen the urban-rural divide by accelerating the decline of rural populations relative to those of urban areas....
  9. The Consolidation of Local Government Services: The Incidence and Practice of Service Delivery Consolidation in North Carolina “This research does suggest strong support from county managers concerning the potential for service consolidation to enhance service delivery, efficiency and accountability. This research confirms that practitioners view the potential of service consolidation as an enhancement to local government organizations....
  10. Frame the Consolidation Debate with a Sound Argument: A Reply to a Response “The most persuasive argument in favor of city–county consolidation has been—and remains—economic development through the formation of a strong and attractive regional community identity. Empirical evidence consistently demonstrates that appeals to voters based on reducing inner-city/suburban socioeconomic inequity and enhancing...