Determinants of Local Governmental Support for Alternative Forms of Regional Coordination

Abstract

Local governments are under increasing pressure to maintain services while saving money. One mechanism for such economies is coordinating services with other municipalities, but local-government officials have often resisted such coordination. Overcoming this resistance requires understanding the factors that contribute to support for regionalism by local officials. Several forms of regional coordination exist, each with its unique impact on localities, and if the factors responsible for support by local officials for one form of regional coordination are indeed different from those responsible for other forms, then general conclusions on how to enhance this support could be misleading. The results of a survey of local officials in Virginia regarding alternative roles for regional councils confirm the predicted differences in models of support. Local officials' support for regional council involvement in service provision is primarily a function of previous council activities, with technical assistance to localities (e.g., plan preparation and providing training) being particularly constructive. Support by local officials for councils playing a regional leadership role, in contrast, is associated more with problems of the region-such services as housing and transportation appearing most critical. These findings help refine our models of the dynamics responsible for support for regional cooperation by local officials and provide practical suggestions for developing unique regional arrangements appropriate for the particular problems a region faces.