Warner, Mildred E. (2011). "Competition or Cooperation in Urban Service Delivery?" Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, 82(4): 421-435. Thematic issue on “The future of public enterprises: contributions to a new discourse.”  Picked up and shared with membership by the European Federation of Public Services Unions, Jan. 2012.

Inter-municipal cooperation is now as common among US local governments as for profit privatization. This article uses data from a national survey in 2007 to explore the benefits of cooperation – economies of scale, service coordination across the metropolitan region and greater community control. While privatization reforms have focused on harnessing the benefits of a competitive market, cooperation may be the new frontier where economies of scale and efficiency gains can be achieved with governments working together in a new form of collaborative service delivery.

If you would like a copy of this publication, please email mew15 'at' cornell.edu and include the name of the publication.

Subject: Intermunicipal Cooperation