B. Support regional collaboration, purchasing, and service delivery
There are already many examples of shared services and facilities in Metro Boston, such as successful law enforcement councils that provide specialized services across member communities, regional educational collaboratives that allow school districts to provide special education services more efficiently, and regional library networks that allow local libraries to leverage the resources available to their users. In addition, there are many examples of shared facilities like regional vocational high schools and regional water and wastewater infrastructure through the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority and more localized joint wastewater facilities.
The Commonwealth recently adopted legislation allowing municipalities to enter into inter-municipal agreements without obtaining local legislative approval (such as Town Meeting approval). This recent change can help to facilitate a variety of collaborative actions, such as developing joint facilities, having one municipality provide services for another, or even consolidating departments.
As the state lowers barriers to regional collaboration, local officials will need the vision and leadership to creatively consider shared services, shared departments, and shared facilities. There are many departments that could collaborate more fully or even be consolidated. Easily, these include assessing departments, veterans services, weights and measures inspections, specialized public health duties, and public works. Furthermore, it is mainly political challenges that prevent increased collaboration in the provision of major local services such as firefighting. Creatively leveraging regional solutions will require leadership at the local and regional levels.
3) Establish regional collaboration as a priority for all Commonwealth policies and programs
4) Increase joint procurement and service delivery through MAPC
5) Strengthen incentives to foster inter-municipal collaboration
6) Deliver regional public health services
7) Consider municipal mergers to increase efficiency and enhance the quality of services
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