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

Report by Dr. Jesseca E. Lightbourne
April 2017

Kinder Institute for Urban Research   (Houston)

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, has become a major concern not only in Houston but also in cities across the county.