Regional Government
Over the past several decades, the idea of “regional government” has gained popularity in cities and towns across the United States. Regional governments are government entities that extend beyond city or town borders, but are different from county government. For example, the city of Indianapolis formed a regional government when it merged with most of its neighboring suburbs. Both Nashville, Tennessee, and Miami have formed similar regional governments with their neighboring communities.
Regional governments are attractive to city planners and politicians because they allow communities to combine resources and spend tax dollars more efficiently. There are dozens of entities that can be classified as regional governments, though only a few are commonly used:
City-county consolidations. Some cities have merged with the outlying county to form a regional government. New York City and New York County serve as one governmental entity, as do Miami and Dade County, Florida. City-county consolidations are most common in large metropolitan areas.
Federations and voluntary associations. These types of associations are commonly used to coordinate transportation planning in rural areas. For example, four counties in Indiana formed the Northeastern Indiana Regional Coordinating Council to provide transportation planning for the region.
Regional councils. Perhaps the most popular form of regional government is the voluntary regional council. The National Association of Regional Councils estimates that there are more than 450 regional councils in the United States, and defines them as “multipurpose, multi-jurisdictional, public organizations created by local governments to respond to federal and state programs.” Regional councils became a common way for communities to implement Lyndon Johnson's Great Society programs of the mid-1960s. The Upper Minnesota Valley Regional Development Commission defines its mission as “aiding local units of government in obtaining, retaining and sustaining programs necessary for rural survival.”
City mergers. It's not unusual for cities to merge with or annex neighboring cities in order to create a more powerful regional authority. In some states, annexation is difficult and acrimonious. In other states, such as Texas, annexation is more common and straightforward. Several noteworthy cities — San Diego, Tampa, Atlanta, Houston, and Phoenix — have annexed neighboring communities as part of their growth strategy.
Sale of services. Many local governments contract with larger cities (and even counties) to provide basic services of government, such as police, water, sanitation, fire protection, and street maintenance. This type of arrangement is considered a regional government because it involves the shared planning of resources. Many small communities would not be able to develop were it not for this type of regional government.
Single-purpose entities. Perhaps the most well-known single-purpose entity is the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Its mission statement is to “identify and meet the critical transportation infrastructure needs of the bi-state region's businesses, residents, and visitors.” It was created in 1921 to settle harbor boundary disputes between the two states.
