Rural Government Management And The New Federalism: Local Attitudes In Southwestern Ohio

Abstract

Many observers conclude that rural and other small local governments have limited pubic management resources-fiscal, informational, and professional. This article considers the technical assistance views of officials who manage such local governments. It is based on a sample of elected and appointed officials in small city, village, and township governments in three southwestern Ohio counties. Using a threefold clasification of local government activities (strategic, tactica, support), we found that respondents frequently identifed technical assistnce needs for various government activities. Rather than emphasizing direct service delivery (tactical) activities, traditionally viewed as the dominant interest of officials in small local governments, respondents focused more on strategic (i.e., general policy and management) activities which are more comprehensive and long range in nature. This attention is attributed not simply to local circumstances but also to the increased involvement of rural and other small local governments in intergovernmental relations. In the context of the Reagan administration's New Federalism, the technical assistance needs of rural and other small local governments merit special attention. The current trend in intergovernmental relations is to devolve more policymaking and management responsibilities to state and local governments. However, in light of the political, fiscal, and administrative circumstances of small local governments, the question arises as to what and how much they can be expected to manage.' This article examines the concerns of small government officials in the environment of the New Federalism. The focus is on technical assistance needs as expressed by officials in rural and other small local governments in three southwestern Ohio counties. Rural government management became an issue because of two major developments occurring in the 1970s. First, many small communities during