Consolidation or Collaboration? Common Solutions to Reduce Overlapping Services in Local Government

Across the nation, local governments are increasingly under pressure to perform efficiently and effectively in an environment marked by limited financial resources. For this reason, the topic of overlapping services, which occurs when two or more public entities provide a similar service to citizens within the same jurisdiction,1 has become a major concern not only in Houston but also in cities across the county. With this conversation well underway across the various municipalities within Harris County, this report is the first of several highlighting the various consolidation and collaboration options. The focus of this report is on the common forms of collaboration and consolidation currently in use across the country, which will be followed in the future by more detailed publications on specific service areas