A survey by the Michigan Municipal League (MML) says local governments around the state have taken to sharing services such as police, fire, library, waste collection, and more.
There were 129 responses from communities to the League's survey, which was conducted at the request of Gov. Rick Snyder. The governor asked the MML to attempt to determine how many municipalities have already headed down the path of shared services.
The survey, according to the MML, makes it clear that sharing services is not a novelty and it questions Gov. Snyder's assumption that a failure to share services has led to inefficiency and a waste of tax dollars.
Gov. Snyder has plans to cut state revenue sharing to local governments and has challenged them to cut waste, by employing such things as sharing services.
The survey found 640 examples, many of them in metro Detroit, of communities sharing services, saving tax dollars and increasing efficiency. Separately, the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments has more than 249 examples of locally shared services, including more than 40 that have formed joint recreation authorities. Several have created recycling authorities.
Rather than decrease the revenue funneled from the state to local governments, the MML is asking the governor and legislature to change two state laws, the Urban Cooperation Act and Public Act 312, both of which it considers roadblocks that make it too expensive for communities to share services.
Source: Matt Bach, director of communications, Michigan Municipal League
Writer: Kim North Shine
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