Choices for Change: A Guide to Local Government Cooperation and Restructuring in Minnesota

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Whether you're a local government official or a citizen, this guidebook was created to help you understand the variety of cooperation and restructuring possibilities available to your local government.

For example, a community faced with soaring costs and limited services has several options: sharing services with another city or township; annexing or detaching land either to increase tax base and land for development or to limit responsibility for providing services in outlying, rural areas; or merging with another city or township.

This guidebook explains these and other options. It describes the steps required for each option and offers recommendations on how to proceed. Real life examples show how these options have been used in the past. Both good and bad experiences are included to paint a realistic picture of how these options might work.

This book won't explain every detail involved in restructuring local government or pursuing a cooperative arrangement with another government. It introduces the options and helps local communities decide whether or not to explore them further. It is a basic reference guide-the first step.

This book does not advocate particular options. Rather, it is intended to educate people about alternatives and let them decide. Although laws and institutions may change over time, the general information in this book should continue to serve as a useful tool for many years. For additional or more technical information and advice (including current fee information), contact the organizations listed here.

The first part of the guide gets you started with:

• questions that should be answered before or during the early stages of government restructuring and cooperation; and
• examples and diagrams of common situations and the range of available options.

After finding a situation similar to your community's, turn to the sections suggesting possible options. For example, possible solutions to a water and sewer problem may include a joint powers agreement or a merger with a neighboring city or township, annexation, or detachment and annexation. Turn to those sections for information.

The second part of the guide examines each option and includes:

• a brief explanation;
• recommendations on how to proceed;
• descriptions of the process and possible outcomes;
• common questions and answers; and
• case studies highlighting the experiences of other communities (a map locating all the case studies is found here).

The lessons and recommendations included in the case studies are strictly the views of those interviewed and are not necessarily the views of the authors.

Throughout the book, key words and phrases are highlighted in boldfaced type. Definitions of these terms and the names and addresses of organizations and people who might provide further assistance are included here

Suggested further reading

An excellent resource for dealing with controversial issues and public choices is Increasing Competence in Resolving Public Issues. Contact your local county extension office to ask about the availability of this publication.

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