As cities grow and begin to overflow into suburban areas, tax and government issues become increasingly complex.  In their efforts to increase efficiency and reduce tax burdens on individual citizens, cities and counties across the nation are now considering government consolidation, also referred to as regionalization or metro government.

While states like Indiana, Wisconsin and West Virginia have recently enacted broad legislation which enables cities and counties to merge, studies are being conducted across the nation to assess the potential benefits of city/county consolidations.

In 2003, the City of Louisville and Jefferson County, Kentucky completed a major consolidation, which has since served as the model for other municipal, county, and state government mergers.  Instrumental to the establishment and success of the Louisville consolidation was Michael Shea of Government Strategies, Inc., who is widely regarded as one of the foremost experts in city/county consolidations nationwide.

Currently, Mr. Shea is guiding the merger of local governments across the country, and advises local leaders who have begun the journey towards consolidation which benefits residents, taxpayers and businesses.  Mr. Shea is joined by ProActive Communications, a national public affairs and communications firm, which brings state-of-the-art communications tools and strategies and a nationwide network of state public affairs and government relations operatives to assist with your consolidation strategy.

If you are interested in pursuing government consolidation concepts for your region, please contact ProActive Communications today.