 Illinois has nearly 7,000 units of government – more than any other state in the
nation. And some municipalities have taken steps to eliminate the duplicative
services and high costs that go with these multiple, and often unnecessary,
layers of government.
Efforts to save taxpayers money in Belleville and Peru are good examples of the
kind of consolidation needed throughout the state. But there is an even more
innovative model, in Sandy Springs, Ga., that can serve as an example of
efficiency for Illinois and the rest of the country.
Sandy Springs, incorporated in 2005, has about 100,000 residents, which is about
the size of Springfield, Ill., and more than twice as large as Moline, Ill. But
unlike those cities – and cities across Illinois – Sandy Springs does not have
any long-term liabilities, and yet is still able to provide services, invest in
its infrastructure, and keep taxes flat.
That is because Sandy Springs relies on private contractors for services
government workers typically provide.
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Besides its police and fire departments, the city only has eight
full-time employees. The city’s communications team works for a
public affairs company. An engineering firm maintains the city’s
parks. Judges are paid a flat, hourly rate.
“We looked at the traditional model and then the private-sector
model, and then when we looked at the advantages and disadvantages,
we went the private-sector route,” Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul
said in an interview on Illinois Rising with AM 560’s Dan Proft and
the Illinois Opportunity Project’s Pat Hughes.
And Sandy Springs residents couldn’t be happier with the
services.
“We do regular surveys with our citizens to measure customer
satisfaction, and we get absolutely no complaints about the quality
of service,” Paul said.
“We don’t even refer to [residents] as taxpayers, we refer to them
as customers. We’re a business providing a service to customers.”
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