Description
Book SynopsisAlthough a frequently discussed reform, campaigns to merge a major municipality and county to form a unified government fail to win voter approval eighty per cent of the time. One cause for the low success rate may be that little systematic analysis of consolidated governments has been done. In "City-County Consolidation", Suzanne Leland and Kurt Thurmaier compare nine city-county consolidations - incorporating data from 10 years before and after each consolidation - to similar cities and counties that did not consolidate. Their groundbreaking study offers valuable insight into whether consolidation meets those promises made to voters to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of these governments. The book will appeal to those with an interest in urban affairs, economic development, local government management, general public administration, and scholars of policy, political science, sociology, and geography.
Trade ReviewThis volume, employing a well designed and executed comparative research design, provides the reader with the effect of city-county consolidation in promoting local governmental efficiency and economic development in nine communities. A much needed volume, it is must reading for all scholars of urban government and politics and is an ideal supplementary text to be utilized in graduate courses focusing on urban affairs. -Nelson Wikstrom, professor of political science, Virginia Commonwealth University Never before has a book taken a sample of city-county consolidations, attempted to identify control pairs for comparison, delineated the promises made in the preconsolidation campaigns, and used these promises to study the extent to which those promises were met. This book will be of interest to political scientists, experts in public administration, and students of local government. -Beth Walter Honadle, professor of political science and affiliated faculty, School of Planning, University of Cincinnati
Table of ContentsPreface 1. A Research Design for Evaluating Consolidation PerformanceSuzanne M. Leland and Kurt Thurmaier 2. An Assessment of the City-County Consolidation of Nashville and Davidson County, TennesseeAnthony J. Nownes, David J. Houston, and Marc Schwerdt 3. Does Consolidation Make A Difference? A Comparative Analysis of Richmond and Virginia Beach, VirginiaNicholas J. Swartz 4. What Difference Does City-County Consolidation Make? A Historical Analysis of Jacksonville and Tampa, FloridaMilan J. Dluhy 5. City-County Consolidation: A Case Study of Carson City, NevadaAnna Lukemeyer 6. "The Urge to Merge": The Consolidation of Lexington and Fayette County, KentuckyShawn Gillen 7. From Company Town to Consolidated Government: The Western-Style Consolidation of Butte and Silver Bow County, MontanaSusan Keim and Justin Marlowe 8. The Case of Lynchburg and Moore County, Tennessee, ConsolidationDeborah A. Carroll, Kristin A. Wagers, and Mary Ellen Wiggins 9. Unification Promises and Outcomes: The Case of Athens and Clarke County, GeorgiaDan Durning and Paula Sanford 10. Improving the Efficiency and Effectiveness of Service Delivery in Local Government: The Case of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, KansasSuzanne M. Leland and Curtis Wood 11. Promises Made, Promises KeptKurt Thurmaier and Suzanne M. Leland Contributors Index
