Governments Resisting the Urge to Merge

[Evergrey]

http://www.governing.com/topics/mgmt...-to-merge.html

Governments Resisting the Urge to Merge

Despite strained finances, there’s been no significant shift toward consolidation in recent years.

BY: Mike Maciag | January 2013

Hundreds of jurisdictional boundaries weave through the rolling hills and rivers that make up Pittsburgh and its surrounding suburbs. The region is carved into numerous neighborhoods, each with its own identity. But what makes the area unique is that many of these communities also have their own governments and separate services.

In fact, a total of 35 suburbs share borders with the city. Other public entities responsible for a range of services -- often referred to as “special purpose” or “special use” districts -- span the region as well. In all, more than 250 local governments serve city and Allegheny County residents, making life for public officials -- not to mention taxpayers -- complicated.

Given this level of fragmentation and public concerns about high taxation, one might expect calls for consolidation. Yet this hasn’t happened in Pittsburgh. Indeed, it rarely has in most other metropolitan areas surrounded by a host of local governments and special-purpose districts. Figures from the 2012 Census of Governments signal no significant national shift toward consolidation in recent years. The survey, published in August, tallied 89,004 general and special-purpose local governments across the U.S. in 2012, down only slightly from 89,476 five years prior. Rather than merge, officials seem to be seeking answers to solve mutual problems cooperatively, but are doing so while leaving governmental boundaries and districts largely intact.

Robert O’Neill, the International City/County Management Association’s executive director, said last fall that continuing fiscal pressures sparked talks of consolidation in a few localities, but that this hasn’t resulted in any great push for mergers. Instead, municipalities explored tactics like shared services to curb inefficiencies, an attractive option for economic development, transportation and other large-scale initiatives, according to O’Neill.

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companion article with ranking:

How Well is Power Spread Across Metro Areas?

http://www.governing.com/blogs/by-th...tro-areas.html

[Jonboy1983]

I take it that the higher number means a higher degree of fragmentation? Considering Pittsburgh ranks 2nd would make sense in that regard.

Pittsburgh is extremely fragmented, and from my experience, nobody wants to cooperate with anybody. Case en point: THere is a local push among business leaders in Brentwood, Baldwin, and Whitehall, as well as a few neighborhoods in the City of Pittsburgh, to revitalize Route 51. Politicians in the area are willing to comply, but Baldwin, where I grew up, is beyond incorrigible. I know one politician who doesn't want to participate at all because of the fact that Rt 51 passes through a rather small piece of the borough.

I'm all for it because of the limitless economic development opportunities such a project could provide. I just wish I knew why this particular politician could not see what I see and what the rest of the area could see...

That's why I want Bill Peduto to become Mayor of Pittsburgh. This guy is innovative and thinks outside the box. Plus, he actuall believes in annexing parts of, if not all of, the surrounding municialities to create a much larger city-proper, in addition to creating bigger and better infrastructure to better serve the city and region...

[ardecila]

This is not just a Yinzer problem. We have the same issue in Chicagoland. Fortunately, IDOT controls all major roadways with an iron fist, but occasionally some municipalities don't wanna play ball (cough-Northfield-cough).

It's interesting looking at the suburban behemoths in Chicagoland like Schaumburg and Naperville. IMO these larger communities have the resources to grow properly, with well-developed park systems, bike networks, plentiful commercial space, etc.

On the regional scale, you can look at DC, where most planning functions are at the county level. This has given them, IMO, extremely strong regional planning and laid the groundwork for the country's most ambitious TOD (it's easier for planning staff and politicians to ignore NIMBYs in larger municipalities).

[DBR96A]

Originally Posted by Jonboy1983

Pittsburgh is extremely fragmented, and from my experience, nobody wants to cooperate with anybody. Case en point: THere is a local push among business leaders in Brentwood, Baldwin, and Whitehall, as well as a few neighborhoods in the City of Pittsburgh, to revitalize Route 51. Politicians in the area are willing to comply, but Baldwin, where I grew up, is beyond incorrigible. I know one politician who doesn't want to participate at all because of the fact that Rt 51 passes through a rather small piece of the borough.

Brentwood, Whitehall and the city of Pittsburgh should go ahead and collaborate with PennDOT and tell Baldwin to pound sand. Then, when PennDOT rebuilds PA 51 and the corridor looks nice everywhere but Baldwin, they should put up two large signs that read "Borough of Baldwin" when entering its its limits, and two more large signs that read "Borough of Whitehall" (northbound) and "Borough of Pleasant Hills" (southbound) when leaving its limits. That way, when people notice that the corridor looks nice except for one short stretch, they know exactly which borough is responsible for it, opening them to criticism and a rightfully damaged reputation.

[Inkoumori]

Hmm, before consolidation they might want to look at Nassau Co., NY- which has been an abject failure.

[MolsonExport]

amalgamation leads to a race to the bottom in services/accountability to citizens (diseconomies of scale, etc.) and a race to the top in municipal salaries, etc.

Worst of both worlds. Exhibit "A": Toronto. Exhibit "B": Montreal.

[Jonboy1983]

Originally Posted by DBR96A

Brentwood, Whitehall and the city of Pittsburgh should go ahead and collaborate with PennDOT and tell Baldwin to pound sand. Then, when PennDOT rebuilds PA 51 and the corridor looks nice everywhere but Baldwin, they should put up two large signs that read "Borough of Baldwin" when entering its its limits, and two more large signs that read "Borough of Whitehall" (northbound) and "Borough of Pleasant Hills" (southbound) when leaving its limits. That way, when people notice that the corridor looks nice except for one short stretch, they know exactly which borough is responsible for it, opening them to criticism and a rightfully damaged reputation.

Dude,

THANK YOU!! I grew up in that municipality, and frankly, some of those old hags are more stuborn than a pack of fricking MULES!

I actually heard back from those municipalities involved (Economic-South), and they basically told me that my vision seems impossible. THey have to secure the right-of-way, which isn't easy given who owns the parcels abutting the road there. It sucks. I thought they (the slum-bag Levistkes) passed away and that the heirs to the crap were willing to work with the local officials.

They also told me that if my idea was to convert an existing land to a buses only lane, it would be unpopular. -- um, no shit!

It seems like there's some poor communication on their end...

Originally Posted by Inkoumori

Hmm, before consolidation they might want to look at Nassau Co., NY- which has been an abject failure.

What about Jacksonville, Florida or Louisville, KY?

Pittsburgh really should consider consolidation. When you are the county seat of a county with 129 other municipalities just sucking the life out of you, both in terms of economic development opportunities and improvements to infrastructure, yeah that can be a problem. You have fragmented government and nobody wants to collaborate with anyone for anything...

[MolsonExport]

nobody wants to look at Jacksonville, Florida. http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=198828