Small Local Governments Research Articles

Federal Aid to Local Governments in the West: An Irony of the Reagan Revolution

Despite the fact that the Reagan election was viewed as a power shift toward the West, the decade of the 1980s produced cruel disappointment. The region was generally left out of the economic recmery of the nation because of the bust in the agricultural and mineral industries. These state and local gmernments which sufferfrom high costs and low resources were particularly dependent on the national gmernment at the very time when the Reagan Administration was cutting federal aid and transferring power to the states. Unlike Nixon's New Federalism which helped the state and local governments of the West, Reagan's policies caused their relative position in federal aid flows to deteriorate. Although the Reagan revolution in cutting domestic programs was viewed as the embodiment of western rugged individualism, the region lost in terms of federal aid to small rural local governments.

Small town local government finance in Kenya: The case of Karatina Town Council

In a country where local governments are plagued by numerous problems and are under frequent attack from national politicians and the central government, Karatina Town Council stands out as one of the few local authorities widely considered to be doing a highly effective job. This paper reviews the organization and functions of Kenyan local authorities and highlights major constraints on their performance. Some background information on Karatina Town Council is presented, followed by documentation of the council's superior performance and an analysis of the factors that seem to contribute to Karatina's success.

The Development of Behavior-Based Performance Appraisal Processes in Smaller Local Governments: Lessons from a Case Study

Managers in the public and private sectors alike seem to be engaged in a neverending search for an evaluation instrument that at once minimizes bias and subjectivity, promotes employee motivation and individual productivity, and maximizes the achievement of effectiveness and efficiency. Their search is anything but complete. While many different methods have been developed for the conduct of this vital organizational function, no single approach has emerged as the dominant practice in government (Gioia, Donnellon, and Sims, 1989). Moreover, the search for perfection in performance appraisal seems quite futile, given the existence of a great deal of diversity and complexity in organizations and organizational settings (Lovrich, 1990). No single technique or one best way is applicable to all situations (Tyer, 1983). Despite the lack of overall consensus on the specific type of performance appraisal that can .be judged the ideal, specialists in personnel management are agreed on the desirability of certain fundamental aspects of the performance appraisal process. For example, it is uniformly believed that trait-based

Small local governments as community builders

While small local governments lack the advantages of revenue base, adequate staff, and professionalization, the limitations of small size are replaced by its advantages: proximity to constituency, responsiveness, and flexibility. The external (federal) assistance of the 1970s helped bring about substantial local improvements and surety aided community-building efforts. Nonetheless, major small-town projects continue to be driven by local priorities and views; success of such efforts depends on the quality of local leadership and the leadership agenda itself, volunteer action, multiple assignments to public employees, and ad hoc-but effective—administration.

Bigger is Better, or is it Smaller?

St. Louis has a long-standing tradition as an urban workshop for academic analysis in part because small local governments in St. Louis County have provided units of analysis for a wide range of topics related to urban service provision and urban development. Recently, a federal commission and a board authorized by the Missouri constitution separately studied governmental fragmentation and how it relates to the long-term viability of St. Louis County. The federal commission praised the existing arrangement as a model for urban America to consider. The Missouri board proposed dramatic changes in local governmental structure and finance. Reorganization for the St. Louis area is discussed in the context of these two starkly contrasting studies.

Creating the technopolis: High-technology development in Austin, Texas

New institutional alliances, driven by the rapid increase in and diversity of new technologies, are altering the strategy and tactics of economic development. As a result, communities across the world are seeking to create modern technopoleis or city-states that interactively link technology commercialization with public and private sectors to spur economic growth and diversification through high-technology company development. This paper develops the conceptual framework of a technopolis wheel from studying the dynamics of high-technology development and economic growth in Austin, Texas. It describes seven segments within the technopolis: the university, large technology companies, small technology companies, federal government, state government, local government and support groups. Empirical data, based on surveys, interviews, and archival sources, are presented to assess the role and impact of each segment on the emerging Austin technopolis. Analysis of this data demonstrates the role of the research university on spin-out company formation, the direct and indirect impacts of federal, state, and local government, the evolution of high-technology companies over time with a focus on major company relocations or foundings, and the establishment of indigenous high-technology companies. A case study of Tracor, Inc., the only home-grown, Fortune 500 company headquartered in Austin, demonstrates some of the key factors at work in the technopolis wheel. The paper points to new institutional relationships among the segments of the technopolis wheel. It emphasizes the role of influencers who provide leadership in each segment while networking the different segments to form new institutional alliances. Key findings of the study include the pivotal role of the research university, the need for continuity in governmental policies, the catalytic role of large technology companies, the importance of indigenous company development, and the need for consensus for the sustained development of the technopolis. Three important themes emerge in technopolis development, not only in the United States but also in Europe and Asia: the need for a coordinated approach to high-technology company development, the presence of a high-quality research university, and the importance of a network of influencers or “executive champions.” By focusing on the interaction among the seven segments of the technopolis wheel, we provide a conceptual framework for assessing the relative importance of government, academic, business, and public sectors in the high-technology economic development of a region.

Computers and Smaller Local Governments

Computers and Smaller Local Governments

Technology and economic development in the modern technopolis

This paper assesses the dynamics of technology development and economic growth in the technopolis or modern city-state. It describes seven segments within the technopolis: the university, large technology companies, small technology companies, state government, local government, federal government, and support groups. In the process, the paper points to new institutional relationships affecting economic development and examines the role of influencers in economic diversification. San Antonio, Texas, is used as a case study of a developing technopolis to analyze how this process works. The paper concludes with a list of key factors affecting the development of the modern technopolis.

Health expenditure by area in Finland — An indicator of equity

The responsibility of organizing and funding health services has in Finland been delegated to small local government units (to 461 communes, average pop. about 11 000), but not to counties or provinces like e.g. in other Nordic countries. PHC is organized by one or few communes and for the specialist level services they have formed 21 Central Hospital Regions (CHR). The central government pays per cent subsidies which are weighted on the basis of income of each community. In 1982 the average share of central government was 44.3% and the communes were responsible for 28.6% of the total expenditure. The national sickness insurance is subventing mainly private services. Its share was in 1982 about 11%. Direct personal costs were about 16%. There are no marked regional differences in the structure of services, e.g. the average share of inpatient care expenditure was 53% and the differences between regions small (± 6%). Total expenditure varied as indexes between regions from 82 tot 119. One reason is the high costs of some university hospitals which do not receive full compensation for services made available to other regions. The expenditure by region did not correlate at all with indicators of ageing. The same can be said of areal differences in income level. Only SMR, a crude indicator of the level of health, correlated positively with expenditure. It is concluded that the areal equity is acceptable if measured with expenditure. The general structure of services does not markedly differ between CHRs. The total health expenditure has been and will remain at the relatively low level of 6.5–7.0% of the GNP. The involvement of small communes is seen as a favourable basis of controlling the expenditure and developing an efficient service system.

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

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

Computing in small local governments: a view from the American great plains

Earlier studies of computing in American local governments focused on large cities (populations over 50,000) and counties (populations over 100.000). These studies showed, among other things, that routine housekeeping functions were the most likely governmental activities to be computerized, and that variables such as size, type and form of government were positively associated with computer adoption. This study in a single state in the Great Plains region of the United States produced largely similar findings for computer adoption and use among small local governments: most functions that were automated involved financial management, and the variables of size and type of government, although not necessarily form, were positively associated with computer adoption. Contrary to earlier studies, however, governmental size was inversely related to future plans to acquire computers; perceived financial condition was not related to whether local governments planned future computer system acquisitions.

The Fiscal Consequences of Changing Federal and State Revenue Policies: The Case of Small Oregon Cities

This article examines the fiscal consequences for twelve, small Oregon cities of recent changes in federal and state intergovernmental revenue policies. Many small local governments have experienced double revenue reverses in recent years-reductions in own-source revenues because of economic decline as well as decreases in intergovernmental revenues, especially federal aid. The twelve small cities are compared with all 241 cities in Oregon and the 136 Oregon cities in the 1,000 to 49,999 population range. Using aggregate and interview data, a majorfuinding is that although stabilization and/or decline in federal-state revenue sharing and entitlement program funds have accentuated difficult local revenue situations, economic decline has been the more important contributor to the fscal stress of the twelve small municipalities. Most of the twelve cities had limited fscal capacity-as indicated by low assessed property valuationsmaking it difficult to produce sufficient revenue to meet basic public service needs. These cities were also unable to get citizen approval of increases in property taxes

Small local governments and information management

During the past 10 years a revolution in computer technology has produced small, powerful, inexpensive computing devices that are easy to use and can be applied to a wide range of local government activities. Additionally, user-friendly generic and packaged software is becoming available for use with many governmental functions. Small local governments (cities under 50,000 and counties under 100,000) are adopting computer technology at rates higher than a decade ago. However, they lag behind both larger governments and businesses in computer adoption. Nevertheless, if procurement trends continue and announced plans come to fruition, local government could become a substantial market for computer technology. Most small governmental computers are used for automation of basic “housekeeping” activities such as financial management, word processing, and record keeping, which is highly consistent with larger government and business uses of computers.

Computers and Small Local Governments: Uses and Users

A major nationwide survey conducted in the mid1970s found that the vast majority of cities with populations over 50,000 and counties over 100,000 used computers in their operations, but less than 50 percent of smaller communities did so. The survey also found that as population declined, so did the frequency of computer use. I In the years since that survey was conducted, a revolution in computer technology has occurred. Today, local governments of almost any size have access to a wide variety of electronic computers, ranging from hand-held portable models to micro and minicomputers and large mainframe systems. These vary in cost from a few hundred to millions of dollars. Local governments no longer need to employ staffs of technical specialists to be able to use computers. Increasingly, vendors are offering packaged or turn-key systems tailored to meet the specific requirements of local governments, and specialized local government software has also become more widely available. Virtually no systematic research has been done in recent years on the use of computer technology in small local governments, even though the revolution in the technology has brought computers easily within the grasp of most of them. In an effort to fill this research gap and also to assist in the development of training and technical assistance materials and programs on microcomputers for small and rural local governments, a survey of computers and small local governments in seven plains and mountain states was undertaken in the winter of 1983.2 Using a stratified, random sampling procedure, the researchers selected for study 75 cities with populations of 2,500 to 49,999 and 75 counties under 100,000 in the states of Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. In addition, 15 Nebraska cities from 800 to 2,499 were randomly selected for inclusion in order to gain information on computer use in non-urban settings. This resulted in a representative sample of 90 cities and 75 counties.3 (See Table 1.)

Small businesses and local government

Small businesses and local government

Some Benefits of Small Local Government Areas

The qualitative arguments for and against small local government areas are generally well-understood, at least by researchers in the subject. However, in practice, the arguments in favour of small areas seem to be discounted partly, I believe, because the benefits are difficult to quantify. In this article I explore some of the benefits of small government units in Sydney and suggest how they might be taken into account in decision making. The benefits discussed in this article relate to the efficient provision of local public goods and services rather than to equity issues. By efficiency I mean providing households with the services they most want at least cost or more precisely maximising the surplus of benefit over cost, not just minimising the cost of services. Efficiency is emphasised because I accept the conventional argument of economists' that the provision of local public services is the major economic function of local government. But it is not intended to imply hereby that equity or other political issues are unimportant. Let us then consider first the benefit side of efficiency. Arguments in favour of small local government areas are numerous. Firstly, as American studies2.3 have shown, household preferences and income elasticities of demand for local public goods vary substantially. Secondly, preferences are better known and decision makers more responsive to citizen demands in small areas. This is partly because the cost of entry into politics is lower at the local level. This responsiveness is the greater when, following Tiebout,4 there is competition between local government

Some Benefits of Small Local Government Areas

Some Benefits of Small Local Government Areas

Urban Community Development In St. Louis Inner Suburbs

AbstractThe practice of Community Development in the suburbs of large urban areas is just beginning to show results. The traditional urban problems of housing deterioration, effects of racial integration, and the shrinking tax base are now settling into the suburbs, particularly the inner suburbs. These issues are often complicated by a large number of small local governments and a tradition of very little governmental activity in anything but the basic services.The following case study describes community development activities in a very fragmented inner suburban area of St. Louis. The study spans 1970 through 1973 and emphasizes a process approach. It describes the kinds of activities developed by a community development specialist working cooperatively with various local government and citizen groups. Then it presents the results of those joint enterprises and the potential for action in the future.

A Califonlia Study

AbstractRoland Warren in his keynote address at the Annual Meeting’ in July 197S pointed out quite clearly and cogently the inevitability of federal forces at work in the local scene. There is “good news and bad news” as Dr. Warren Suggested. The New Housing and Community Development Act is supposes to be part of tile good news. However, the new Act may not mean the same thing for every jurisdiction.In many California non-metropolitan jurisdictions the New Housing and Community Development Act (l974) was Seen as an opportunity for small local governments to increase their: capacity to solve local problems. In particular, the Community Development Act as it is known has been proposed as the· vehicle to stimulate local government initiative in social planning and problem solving. Some evidence exists that community development programs are possible in cities over 5,000. But for the very smallest communities the Creative Federalism may not be a viable alternative. This paper analyzes basic administrative Str...

Size of Firm, Market Structure, and Innovation

Size of Firm, Market Structure, and Innovation