Preliminary results from the 2012 Alternative Service Delivery Survey show that “to save costs” and “to achieve economies of scale” are the reasons reported by the highest percentages of respondents for why they enter into intergovernmental contracts or shared services. Although employee resistance has historically been an issue in privatization of services, the survey results show that the biggest obstacles, as determined by the percentage of respondents reporting them, are concern about loss of community control and lack of common vision or shared mission.

Ed Barrett, city administrator of Lewiston, Maine, reports that Lewiston and neighboring Auburn, Maine, have an extensive series of interlocal agreements covering services ranging from animal control to wastewater treatment. Respondents in some states referred to state mandates requiring interlocal agreements, and a loss of revenues from the state if the localities are not in compliance.

Regional approaches are reported by 82% of respondents who participate in a regional council of governments, metropolitan planning organization (MPO), or regional planning agency. The regional groups address a variety of issues, with roads and highways reported by the highest percentage (69%), followed by economic development.

These results are very preliminary. The survey is part of a project funded by HUD that will enable ICMA to provide case examples of local government service delivery approaches, as well as reports and articles in publications, and to add to resources in the Knowledge Network under the Service Delivery topic. All survey respondents will be entered in a drawing to receive a free registration to the ICMA Annual Conference in Phoenix.