The New Regionalism in Michigan and other Mid-west states are not the elimination of local government but Collaboration and Cooperation between the communities.
Local municipalities are struggling to maintain services in the face of growing budget deficits, reduced taxes, and increased constituent demand for delivery of basic services. Many are trying to stave off the inevitable – going into receivership.
Historically municipalities operated under the concepts of local self control and self sufficiency. These governmental units valued independence and autonomy and crafted their services to fulfill their constituents’ needs. These services became part of the community “attraction” and help build the community’s image. Services continued to evolve and grow while the economy changed.
The landscape in the 21st Century is substantially different. Global and local economic changes have impacted individual communities who continue to expect or demand the same services. Yet many local governments continued to respond to community needs with traditional assumptions about service delivery. Accordingly, municipalities have tried to maintain their autonomy by cutting their staff in order to maintain the previous service delivery style – of services in the same or similar style – fewer people, more work.
Some regional coalitions are beginning to recognize they are experiencing the same phenomena that manufacturing and service stores have encountered. Big business has had to rethink their assumption of product service delivery. They have had to economize toward effective and efficient service delivery by creating a “Big Box” concept – exemplified by stores like Wall Mart, Home Depot, and Lowes stores. The concept is to bring together under one roof what may have been many stores to manage product and service delivery through advances in technology as well as to emphasize collaboration and cooperation throughout their networks.
Local governments are beginning to develop new methods of service delivery through collaboration and cooperation while creatively and intelligently tapping into opportunities offered by new technologies. Technology has become the tool of change. It ties communities together electronically while increasing effectiveness and efficiency and reducing dependence on labor. In today’s world, technology helps communities collaborate in ways that were never before possible while at the same time maintaining the autonomy of local governments. Collaboration and cooperation when combined with technology creates an easier and less stressful method of governance and government service delivery. This rethinking helps local government reduce costs and maintain, or in some cases improving the efficiencies of appropriate levels of service.
Interdependence, cooperation, and collaboration are the touchstones for cost effective service delivery. These connections are powerful and are helping communities to avoid receivership, avoid or delay raising taxes to maintain services. At the same time deliver satisfactory services for its citizens.
Elected and appointed representatives desire to successfully serve their local population’s needs. Many are redefining concepts of regionalism from an entity that has geographic power and control. While emphasizing collaboration and cooperation of an organizing structure.
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