Explore collaborations and pooling of resources

Cities and departments can achieve economies of scale and greater operational efficiency through collaboration. Integrating services between cities, purchasing collectively to improve bargaining power, or even merging with the county or another city are options that cities can pursue. Within a city, merging departments in similar areas or with similar functions can provide cost savings and improve business processes.

ASSESSMENT

Some questions to guide your thinking

• At a city-to-city level, what collaborations might be worth exploring?
• At a departmental level, what business functions could be centralized?