243da973_overnments_Merge____Gongol_com__Factor
[In Brief] Residents benefit from healthy competition among different communities within a given metro area. [Rationale] Most people regard their hometown to outsiders as a choice of metropolitan area. But within a given metro, intense rivalries and allegiances often emerge among the distinct communities there. Communities will often respond to changes in demographics by offering bundles of services that reflect the demands of their residents. For example, one community heavily populated by young families may choose to spend a larger share of its municipal budget on elementary and secondary schools, while a neighboring community with a larger population of retired adults may enforce stronger ordinances on noise and offer more community health services. Greater consolidation of government services will tend to reduce the range of choices available to local residents and will tend to diminish their satisfaction with the services provided by their local governments as those services become increasingly homogenized throughout the metro. [Factor] 
Reduced Intra-Market Competition
Should City and County Governments Merge? | Gongol.com
Factor