Citizens Research Council Report Identifies New Opportunities for Intergovernmental Collaboration in Metropolitan Grand Rapids
A new report by the Citizens Research Council of Michigan analyzes existing collaboration, identifies statutory and charter impediments to the expansion of collaboration among metropolitan Grand Rapids cities, and suggests services for which the communities might benefit by collaborating for their provision. The report, entitled Streamlining Functions and Services of Kent County and Metropolitan Grand Rapids Cities, was conducted at the request of the communities and funded by grants from the Frey Foundation, Steelcase Foundation, and the Hudson-Webber Foundation.
The Michigan economy, in the doldrums for eight years, has placed fiscal stress on local units of government, which are searching for ways to continue to provide services to their residents in an era of constrained revenues.
"These communities already collaborate for the provision of a great deal of services, but more collaboration will be necessary if they hope to maintain the level of services to which their residents are accustomed," said Eric Lupher, CRC's Director of Local Affairs.
The report identifies provisions in several state laws that are impediments to collaboration. "These communities have used collaboration to provide services that none could afford to provide on their own, to avoid service duplication, and to maximize on efficiencies," said Lupher. "But for these communities and others throughout the state, service consolidation will become increasingly necessary because of scarce revenues. Unless provisions in the Urban Cooperation Act and others are addressed, little cost savings are likely to result from consolidating existing services."
The report suggests that the consolidation of public safety functions and an expansion of the role that counties play in assisting in the operations of local governments will have the greatest affect in streamlining service provision.
The report and its summary can be read on the CRC website, www.crcmich.org.
The Citizens Research Council of Michigan is a private, nonprofit public affairs research organization, founded in 1916 to analyze issues pertaining to state and local government organization and finance in Michigan.
