How To Run A City, Cheaply
Source: Politics Alabama
Have you ever heard of Sandy Springs, a city on the outskirts of Atlanta? With most cities across this nation cutting services, laying off employees, and raising taxes, they are doing none of this. They also have no debt at all.
I only bring this up because Montgomery, Prattville, and Wetumpka are all talking about tax increases of one kind or another. Maybe we could learn a little from Sandy Springs.
How are they doing it, you ask? Simple... they have outsourced virtually every aspect of their city government to private companies, who manage to provide the same services city government would have, but for half the cost. Here's a video documenting this impressive city and their model of governing.
If the player doesn't work, try this link:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8qFvo2qJOU
Maybe this should be a case study for all elected officials.
I only bring this up because Montgomery, Prattville, and Wetumpka are all talking about tax increases of one kind or another. Maybe we could learn a little from Sandy Springs.
How are they doing it, you ask? Simple... they have outsourced virtually every aspect of their city government to private companies, who manage to provide the same services city government would have, but for half the cost. Here's a video documenting this impressive city and their model of governing.
If the player doesn't work, try this link:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8qFvo2qJOU
Maybe this should be a case study for all elected officials.
- In a town of 5,000 residents....other than the town clerk, the mayor, the council, and your law enforcement....that ought to be it for direct-hire, and everyone else...even the fire department...ought to be contracted out. The problem is convincing people that this would work. Everyone wants to be convinced that it won't be some El Salvadoran illegal alien doing official town business like mowing grass, replacing city light bulbs, or running the recreation center.
- Politics Alabama said...
- Convincing people it will work is why I am posting this video. It does work, and it works better than the "normal" cities that are run directly by the city government. Keep in mind that Sandy Springs isn't a town of 5,000 people, either, it's population is in the 100,000 range. The private sector is much more efficient, generally speaking, than is the government. Why? Private businesses get rewards for efficiency, while governments get rewards of NOT being efficient. Don't believe me? Listen to almost any city or county wailing that they need more money to improve the quality of a failing school system. When they do a good job, there is no incentive to give them more money. Governments justify increased revenue by some kind of failure... and that's a perverse incentive system.
Excellent post.
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