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Report of the Committee on Government Operations: Joint Delivery of Services

Local governments have faced increasing political and fiscal pressure to reduce spending, lower taxes, and maintain or increase services. This pressure resulted from reductions in federal aid to state and local governments, mandates from federal and state governments, a national recession that caused a slowing of income tax collections, a lowering of property tax values, and slower than usual sales tax collection. In addition, there has been a shift or reallocation of state funds away from local government programs to health care, welfare, and educational programs. Also the public perceives that local governments do not spend wisely, they are wasteful, and need greater creativity in dealing with local government problems. Because of these political and fiscal pressures, local governments have begun to ask many questions. This article addresses those questions and reports on local government operations.