MAPC Project Director Joel Barrera presented participants with draft MetroFuture recommendations to get cities and towns to think and act regionally (click here to download the handout of draft recommendations used during this discussion). In a discussion facilitated by Westwood Town Administrator Michael Jaillet, most participants agreed that local finances and efficiency would be improved by combining services and purchases, but debated the best approach.

The premise that the basic business model of local government is failing met with lively response from participants.  Everyone agreed that communities are facing similar challenges, particularly structural budget deficits and inconsistent state funding. However, it’s not that local government is failing, but that communities are under-resourced and limited by the current system, participants stressed.

The recent Hamill Commission report was mentioned as a helpful guide to municipal finance issues. The report recommended taking a hard look at regionalizing services as a way to reduce municipal expenses. The ability to diversify local revenues, such as telecom taxes, and local option taxes on hotels, motels, and meals, would also help. Local aid was identified as another challenge, as state funding for planning, public health and public works has rapidly diminished over time.

Many noted that communities often talk about regionalizing services with joint purchasing, mutual aid agreements, etc., but that such discussions rarely lead to action. Some worry that regionalization will lead to homogenization.

The question of how to address these challenges revealed two approaches:

Government intervention:  Some participants were in favor of adding another layer of governance, such as county government, to enforce regionalization.

“Floating” Regionalization:  Others felt that communities should take it upon themselves to organize around specific issues that are ripe for regionalization: public safety, public works, and schools.

In the end, participants generally agreed that both approaches might be needed. Incentives and tools to make regionalization easy, or even mandatory with penalties, are needed.

Whatever the approach, staff support from entities like MAPC, as well as state funding support, is necessary to facilitate regional agreements and overcome local fear and pressures. The local business community and chambers of commerce might be another source of support for communities looking to regionalize.

Legal authority to regionalize some services is a serious constraint in some cases, because of issues such as police jurisdiction or education disparities. Legislation is needed to give communities the legal power to join together in providing regional services. That power currently has to be granted by the state. Political courage for communities to commit to acting more regionally is equally important, but must be bolstered by the notion that government should be acting according to what’s best for the public good.

Click here to download more complete notes of the discussion.