Source: CORNELL UNIVERSITY submitted to NRP
INTER-GOVERNMENTAL COOPERATION: A STRATEGY FOR RURAL NEW YORK GOVERNMENTS
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
HATCH
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
0227561
Grant No.
(N/A)
Cumulative Award Amt.
(N/A)
Proposal No.
(N/A)
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Oct 1, 2011
Project End Date
Sep 30, 2014
Grant Year
(N/A)
Program Code
[(N/A)]- (N/A)
Recipient Organization
CORNELL UNIVERSITY
(N/A)
ITHACA,NY 14853
Performing Department
Development Sociology
Non Technical Summary
Municipalities and school districts across New York State face growing political and financial pressures to cut costs, gain efficiencies, and improve service delivery. The past three years have witnessed calls for substantial reduction in the number of local government agencies, substantial increases in collaborative partnerships, or shared-services to achieve improved efficiencies or improved services. Most recently, the passage of a tax cap on local property tax levies will only further motivate these goals. This study will engage in focus groups and statewide surveys with partner organizations including local government (towns, cities, and counties), public education (superintendents) and planning leaders. We will seek to collect data to allow analysis of the prevalence, obstacles, and advantages of shared services across NYS. The findings will be widely distributed at the annual meetings of our partners as well as government, academic and professional outlets (journals, magazines, newsletters, hearings). We will also create an interactive database (web based) in which the public may search and learn about the range of collaborative partnerships that exist across the state. While much rhetoric has surfaced in recent years with regard to local government agencies, we will generate unique and timely data on the degree of collaboration, the motivations and challenges to such collaboration, and the outcomes of the collaboration.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
6026110302010%
6026110306010%
6026110308010%
6106099302010%
6106099306010%
6106099308010%
6106110308010%
8056110302010%
8056110306010%
8056110308010%
Knowledge Area
602 - Business Management, Finance, and Taxation; 805 - Community Institutions, Health, and Social Services; 610 - Domestic Policy Analysis;

Subject Of Investigation
6110 - Economy of the United States and sectors thereof; 6099 - People and communities, general/other;

Field Of Science
3020 - Education; 3060 - Political science; 3080 - Sociology;
Goals / Objectives
This research will determine the possibilities for inter-governmental cooperation across communities, school districts and planners, identify additional service areas which offer potential for efficiency gains under cooperation, and assess the motivators, obstacles and outcomes of shared service delivery. We will assess what motivates inter-governmental cooperation and the outcomes of such collaborations. We will determine the inputs and obstacles to collaboration among and between local governments, school districts, and planners. We will explore what services offer potential for collaboration. Our research will seek to understand the barriers and motivations to cooperation, and the outcomes of collaboration. Outcomes must be assessed in terms of equity, efficiency, and change in service quality. Finally, can such partnerships increase efficiency in an increasingly budget-constrained fiscal system and /or ensure or enhance service quality and innovation A critical policy concern is how to reduce costs while improving the quality of services delivered by local NY government agencies. Of special concern are rural districts severely affected by current fiscal challenges. Inter-municipal cooperation is often suggested as a panacea, but recent research suggests there are wide differences in costs and benefits across service types and across jurisdictions. This research will address that gap. This research will identify new areas ripe for collaboration - health insurance, tax assessment, tax sharing (sales tax), land use planning (energy, water, sustainability), inter-municipal economic development planning, social services collaboration, parks and recreation programs, and shared public facilities. Highways and public safety are already large areas of inter-municipal cooperation and these will provide a comparison to the newer areas of collaboration. Of special concern are the needs of children and the elderly - groups most reliant on public services. The younger generations in New York State are increasingly children of color and often immigrant, poor and with English as a second language. These differences can create further barriers to service collaboration. The possibility exists to use shared service strategies to provide for common needs in an integrated fashion (Warner et al, 2010) This project meshes research and extension in important ways. The core work of our partners (workshops, professional meetings) will be enhanced by our research and our partners' expertise and networks will enhance our research. Year 1 - conduct focus groups, review literature and European models, design survey. Year 2 - conduct survey, write extension briefs on key issues identified in the focus groups. Year 3 - analyze results, build interactive database, write extension briefs, conduct workshops, write journal articles.
Project Methods
Our integrated project will begin with focus groups of key officials in the local government, public education and planning sectors. These will take place at statewide meetings of our partners. The focus group participants will help us identify the salient and timely issues and the questions to ask when we conduct the surveys in year 2. We will also conduct a broad literature review of alternative approaches to shared service delivery including European models - which address the needs for regional coordination and market share while still retaining local democratic control (Bel and Mur 2009, Bel et al. 2010). In year 2, we will conduct surveys of local government officials, planners, and school superintendents. This is modeled on Warner and Hebdon (2001) when they conducted research in collaboration with NYS Assoc of Counties in 1997. We will also gather case vignettes (Yin, 2003) where respondents can provide short answers regarding strategy, process, obstacles, costs and benefits. We found this approach promotes collaborative learning across respondents as the cases can be made part of a searchable data base on the web (http://government.cce.cornell.edu/db/lgr/search.asp). Our collaborative approach in survey design and distribution will help ensure the relevance of the research to local agency needs. For example, this collaborative research/extension approach will help achieve a high response rate as local officials will be partners in the research process and key beneficiaries of the results. This work builds on earlier (1995-1997) collaborative research/extension project with NYSAC and the NYS Association of Supervisors and Legislators (now merged into NYSAC and NTAT). We will develop an interactive web-based database to share the results to encourage a community of learning among local government, planners and school districts. This kind of sharing will encourage further innovation across the state.

Progress 10/01/11 to 09/30/14

Outputs
Target Audience: During the three years of our project, we successfully partnered with the leadership and membership of five targeted audiences. We partnered with these five statewide association to enable a first of its kind data collection via a statewide survey of shared municipal service arangements. Through collaboration with each of these organizations (and the focus groups with these organizations in Year 1), we conducted paper and electronic surveys of the university of county, town, village, city, school district, and Planners across the state of NY. We then conducted the analyses and targeted the reporting of impact and findings to these same groups. - NYS Association of Counties - NYS Association of Towns - NYS Council of School Superintendents - NYS Conference of Mayors - NYS Association of Planners Beyond these five groups, our targeted audience also included state legislative and administrative leaders. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? We had a series of invited talks (at least 15) at meetings of the NYS Association of Counties, NYS Conference of Mayors, NYS Council of School Superintendents, NYS Association of Towns, The Rural Schools Association of NYS, Numerous regional School Board Associations, and the Cornell Municipal Clerk's Institute. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? We have disseminated our results in two particular ways: 1) Accessible briefs and 2) public presentations. We have published a full set of briefs (2-8 pages each) on creative responses to fiscal stress, shared municipal and services and community and economic development. We have also participated in numerous public fora including Summits on fiscal stress and shared services run by the MIX partnership, State of Upstate Cities conference, Municipal Clerks institute, and Research Roundtables run by CaRDI. Either Mildred or I are often the keynote speakers at these events. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Key outcomes in year one were building closer relationships with project partners to finalize research design. We met with our project partners: New York State Association of Counties New York Conference of Mayors, New York State Association of Towns, New York State Council of School Superintendents, Upstate New York Chapter of the American Planning Association and with the NYS Comptroller's Office on budget data. We found that a survey is needed as there is no statewide comprehensive data source on shared services. Dr. Warner and Dr. Germa Bel, project collaborator from Spain, conducted a review of all published studies on cooperation and found that cost savings is not a guaranteed result. Experience from Australia, where cooperation and consolidation were pushed heavily, found no cost savings but improved service effectiveness. This article is now under review at the Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory. We also had students work on case studies of successful and failed shared service attempts to gain a better sense of the barriers and benefits. These case studies will be published in year two of the project. Prof. Sipple initiated a set of relationships in Ireland and the UK around shared services in regions with population loss. This research and policy knowledge will serve to enhance the NYS project. This research is determining the possibilities for inter-governmental cooperation across communities, school districts and planners, identify additional service areas which offer potential for efficiency gains under cooperation, and assess the motivators, obstacles and outcomes of shared service delivery. We assessed what motivates inter-governmental cooperation and the outcomes of such collaborations. We determined the inputs and obstacles to collaboration among and between local governments, school districts, and planners. We explored what services offer potential for collaboration. Our research sought to understand the barriers and motivations to cooperation, and the outcomes of collaboration. Finally, we gained a richer sense of how such partnerships are believed to increase efficiency in an increasingly budget-constrained fiscal system (as reported by local leaders) and/or ensure or enhance service quality and innovation.

Publications

  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2012 Citation: Morken, L. and R. Baran-Rees. 2012. Joint Use: School Community Collaboration. Issue Brief. Ithaca, NY: Department of City and Regional Planning, Cornell University. http://www.mildredwarner.org/p/147
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2012 Citation: Warner, M.E. 2012. The Challenge of Efficiency in Local Government: What the Research Shows, NYSAC News (fall 2012).
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Birk, Eva (2013) Who Picks up the Bill? The Problem with One Sided Service Mergers. The Case of the Onondaga County Police Services Merger. Shared Services Project, Dept of City and Regional Planning, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Homsy, G.; B. Qian, Y. Wang and M. Warner (2013). Shared Services in New York State: A Reform that Works, Summary of Municipal Survey in NYS, 2013, Shared Services Project, Dept of City and Regional Planning, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Sipple, J. W., Miller, A.C. (2014). Shared School Services: A Common Response to Fiscal Stress. Policy Brief published by the New York State Center for Rural Schools, Cornell University.
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: http://www.mildredwarner.org/gov-restructuring/shared-services
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Sipple, J.W. (July 15, 2013). Presentation on Fiscal Stress and Shared Services to the Rural Schools Association of NYS, Cooperstown, NY.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Sipple, J.W. (July 31, 2013). Presentation on Fiscal Stress and Shared Services to the Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress Symposium on School Closures, Kingston, NY.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Sipple, J. W. (Sept. 16, 2013). Presentation on Fiscal Stress and Shared Services to Association of Orange County School Distircts, Orange County, NY.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Sipple, J. W. (September 22, 2013). Presentation on Shared Municipal Services to the NYS School Board Association, Saratoga, NY.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Sipple, J. W. (October 4, 2013). Presentation on Educational Insolvency at the Symposium on School District Fiscal Stress hosted by the Rockefeller Institute of Government, Albany, NY.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Sipple, J. W. (October 24, 2013). Presentation on Shared Municipal Services to the National Conference of County Association Executives, Florida Keyes, FL.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Chris Hayes. Shared Service Models from Education to Local Government, presented at Rural Sociological Society Conference, New York, NY, Aug. 6, 2013.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Birk, E. (2013). "Who Picks Up the Bill? Problems With One-Sided Service Mergers;The Case of the Onondaga County Police Services Merger," Shared Services Project, Dept of City and Regional Planning, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Hayes, C. (2013). "Savings on Administrative Costs: Are Central Business Offices the Answer?," Shared Services Project, Dept of City and Regional Planning, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Hayes, C. (2013). "Intermunicipal Sharing: BOCES helps Towns and Schools Cooperate across New York," Shared Services Project, Dept of City and Regional Planning, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Homsy, G.; B. Qian, Y. Wang and M. Warner (2013). "Shared Services in New York State: A Reform that Works, Summary of Municipal Survey in NYS, 2013," Shared Services Project, Dept of City and Regional Planning, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Database of Case Studies, http://cms.mildredwarner.org/shared_services_cases
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Shared Services in New York State: A Reform that Works Mildred Warner, Cornell University Grace Under Pressure: Innovation in a Time of Forced Efficiencies Summit Huntington, NY, June 2014
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Warner, M.E. and Wang, Y. Sept 25, 2013. Presentation on Shared Services to the NYS Association of Counties, fall conference, Saratoga Springs, NY.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Bel, Germa, and Mildred Warner. 2013. Factors Explaining Inter-Municipal Contracting: A Meta-Analysis. Presented at Public Management Research Association Conference, Madison, WI. June 22, 2013.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Shared Services in New York State: A Reform that Works John W. Sipple, Cornell University Grace Under Pressure: Innovation in a Time of Forced Efficiencies Summit Rensalear, NY, May 2014
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: John W. Sipple, Cornell University Trading Financial Insolvency for Educational Insolvency: A Hypothesis Buffalo, NY, September 2014
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Sipple, J. W. & Warner, M. (2014). State of New York Cities Conference. CaRDI symposium. March 25, 2014, ILR Conference Center, Ithaca, New York.
  • Type: Book Chapters Status: Submitted Year Published: 2014 Citation: Sipple, J. W. & Yuon, Y. (submitted). The Unequal Impact of the Great Recession on the Instructional Capacity of Rural Schools. In Williams & Grooms, The Politics of Educational Opportunity in Rural Contexts. Sage: San Francisco.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2012 Citation: Hefetz, A., Warner, M.E. and Vigoda-Gadot, E. 2012. Privatization and Inter-Municipal Contracting: US Local Government Experience 1992-2007, Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy 30 (4): 675-692. doi:10.1068/c11166


Progress 10/01/12 to 09/30/13

Outputs
Target Audience: During year two of our project, we successfully partnered with the leadership of five targeted audiences. We partnered with these five statewide associations to enable a first of its kind data collection via a statewide survey of shared municipal service arrangements. Through collaboration with each of these organizations (and the focus groups with these organizations in Year 1), we conducted paper and electronic surveys of the university of county, town, village, city, school district, and Planners across the state of NY. - NYS Association of Counties - NYS Association of Towns - NYS Council of School Superintendents - NYS Conference of Mayors - NYS Association of Planners Data collection was conducted between January of 2013 and July of 2013. Following the data collection, each group received a technical report with base descriptive analyses of the relevant survey data for each association. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? This will occur in Year 3, though the topics have been introduced back to several of the statewide associations through presentations to NYSAC and NYSCOSS. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? A series of technical reports (research and extension policy briefs) have been prepared based on our initial analyses. These have been shared with the leadership of the statewide groups. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? In Year 3, we will more fully analyze results, build interactive database, write additional research and extension briefs, conduct workshops, write journal articles.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? This research is determining the possibilities for inter-governmental cooperation across communities, school districts and planners, identify additional service areas which offer potential for efficiency gains under cooperation, and assess the motivators, obstacles and outcomes of shared service delivery. We assessed what motivates inter-governmental cooperation and the outcomes of such collaborations. We determined the inputs and obstacles to collaboration among and between local governments, school districts, and planners. We explored what services offer potential for collaboration. Our research sought to understand the barriers and motivations to cooperation, and the outcomes of collaboration. Finally, we gained a richer sense of how such partnerships are believed to increase efficiency in an increasingly budget-constrained fiscal system (as reported by local leaders) and/or ensure or enhance service quality and innovation. A critical policy concern is how to reduce costs while improving the quality of services delivered by local NY government agencies. Of special concern are rural districts severely affected by current fiscal challenges. Inter-municipal cooperation is often suggested as a panacea, but recent research suggests there are wide differences in costs and benefits across service types and across jurisdictions. This research addressed and informed this gap. This research is identifying new areas ripe for collaboration - health insurance, tax assessment, tax sharing (sales tax), land use planning (energy, water, sustainability), inter-municipal economic development planning, social services collaboration, parks and recreation programs, and shared public facilities. Highways and public safety are already large areas of inter-municipal cooperation and these provide a comparison to the newer areas of collaboration. Of special concern are the needs of children and the elderly - groups most reliant on public services. The possibility exists to use shared service strategies to provide for common needs in an integrated fashion (Warner et al, 2010). This project meshes research and extension in important ways. The core work of our partners (workshops, professional meetings) are being enhanced by our research and our partners' expertise and networks are enhanceing our research. Year 1 - we conducted focus groups, review literature and European models, design survey. Year 2 - we conducted surveys, wrote research and extension briefs on key issues identified in the focus groups.

Publications

  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Sipple, J. W. (September 22, 2013). Presentation on Shared Municipal Services to the NYS School Board Association, Saratoga, NY.�
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Sipple, J. W. (October 4, 2013). Presentation on Educational Insolvency at the Symposium on School District Fiscal Stress hosted by the Rockefeller Institute of Government, Albany, NY.�
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Sipple, J. W. (October 24, 2013). Presentation on Shared Municipal Services to the National Conference of County Association Executives, Florida Keyes, FL.�
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Fraser, B. & Sipple, J. W. (October 26, 2013). Presentation on Data Tools and Shared Municipal Services to the NYS School Board Association, Rochester, NY.�
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Warner, M.E. and Wang, Y. Sept 25, 2013.� Presentation on Shared Services to the NYS Association of Counties, fall conference, Saratoga Springs, NY.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Bel, Germa, and Mildred Warner. 2013.� Factors Explaining Inter-Municipal Contracting: A Meta-Analysis.� Presented at Public Management Research Association Conference, Madison, WI. June 22, 2013.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Chris Hayes. Shared Service Models from Education to Local Government,� presented at Rural Sociological Society Conference, New York, NY, Aug. 6, 2013.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Birk, Eva (2013) Who Picks up the Bill? The Problem with One Sided Service Mergers. The Case of the Onondaga County Police Services Merger. Shared Services Project, Dept of City and Regional Planning, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Homsy, G.; B. Qian, Y. Wang and M. Warner (2013). Shared Services in New York State: A Reform that Works, Summary of Municipal Survey in NYS, 2013, Shared Services Project, Dept of City and Regional Planning, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.
  • Type: Other Status: Awaiting Publication Year Published: 2014 Citation: Sipple, J. W., Miller, A.C. (2014). Shared School Services: A Common Response to Fiscal Stress. Policy Brief published by the New York State Center for Rural Schools, Cornell University.
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: http://www.mildredwarner.org/gov-restructuring/shared-services
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Sipple, J.W. (July 15, 2013). Presentation on�Fiscal Stress and Shared Services to the Rural Schools Association of NYS, Cooperstown, NY.�
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Sipple, J.W. (July 31, 2013). Presentation on�Fiscal Stress and Shared Services to the Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress Symposium on School Closures, Kingston, NY.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Sipple, J. W. (Sept. 16, 2013). Presentation on Fiscal Stress and Shared Services to Association of Orange County School Distircts, Orange County, NY.�


Progress 10/01/11 to 09/30/12

Outputs
OUTPUTS: First year goals were to conduct focus groups on inter-governmental shared services - the opportunities, challenges and constraints. These focus groups were very productive and have fed into our plans for survey design. In October 2011, Dr. Warner held a focus group with the Upstate Chapter of Planners at their fall meeting in Ithaca, NY. In March Dr. Sipple held a focus group with local government officials at a local government conference in Ithaca,NY and with Cooperative Extension in Seneca County, NY. In April, Dr. Sipple and Dr. Warner held a focus group with OCM Boces in Syracuse. In June Dr. Sipple and Dr. Warner held a focus group as part of the Comptrollers' statewide Local Government conference in Syracuse NY. In July Dr. Warner and David Kay held a statewide focus group with municipal clerks at the MunicipaL Clerks Institute in Ithaca, NY. Extension events included a statewide webinar held in January 2012 by Dr. Warner with the Illinois Cooperative Extension system on Privatization and Intergovernmental Agreements. Issue briefs produced during the first year of the project include one on joint use agreements between cities and schools, and one on the impact of NYS's new tax cap on school finance. PARTICIPANTS: David Kay - Reviewed Comptroller's data on local government finance, helped with focus groups and initial ideas on survey of planners. Training and Professional Development: Rebecca Baran-Rees and Chris Hayes are masters students working on this project. Rebecca wrote an issue brief on joint use agreements between communities and schools and Chris Hayes wrote his masters thesis on Boards of Cooperative Educational Services as a model for inter-governmental cooperation. Partner Organizations include: New York State Association of Counties New York Conference of Mayors New York State Association of Towns New York State Council of School Superintendents Upstate New York Chapter of the American Planning Association Each of these partners has worked closely with us over the past year to host focus groups and critique survey drafts. TARGET AUDIENCES: Planners, local government leaders - clerks, mayors, managers, and School Superintendents State Legislative leaders and the Governor's office - who have been outspoken about the lack of shared services across local governments. Efforts - See webinars, focus groups and issue briefs listed under outputs above. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
Key outcomes in year one were building closer relationships with project partners to finalize research design. We met with our project partners: New York State Association of Counties New York Conference of Mayors, New York State Association of Towns, New York State Council of School Superintendents, Upstate New York Chapter of the American Planning Association and with the NYS Comptroller's Office on budget data. We found that a survey is needed as there is no statewide comprehensive data source on shared services. Dr. Warner and Dr. Germa Bel, project collaborator from Spain, conducted a review of all published studies on cooperation and found that cost savings is not a guaranteed result. Experience from Australia, where cooperation and consolidation were pushed heavily, found no cost savings but improved service effectiveness. This article is now under review at the Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory. We also had students work on case studies of successful and failed shared service attempts to gain a better sense of the barriers and benefits. These case studies will be published in year two of the project. Prof. Sipple initiated a set of relationships in Ireland and the UK around shared services in regions with population loss. This research and policy knowledge will serve to enhance the NYS project.

Publications

  • Hefetz, A., Warner, M.E. and Vigoda-Gadot, E. 2012. Privatization and Inter-Municipal Contracting: US Local Government Experience 1992-2007, Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy 30 (4): 675-692. doi:10.1068/c11166
  • Morken, L. and R. Baran-Rees. 2012. Joint Use: School Community Collaboration. Issue Brief. Ithaca, NY: Department of City and Regional Planning, Cornell University. http://www.mildredwarner.org/p/147
  • Warner, M.E. 2012. The Challenge of Efficiency in Local Government: What the Research Shows, NYSAC News (fall 2012).