Public/Private Partnerships for Local Governments

Book excerpt: Four new cities have been created in Georgia in the past three years. The author was responsible for the implementation of Sandy Springs, the first new city to be incorporated in Georgia in fifty years. His previous book, Creating the New City of Sandy Springs, was published to serve as a guide for other communities considering incorporation. The book introduced the concept of a broadly based Public/Private partnership. Subsequently, the author served in an advisory role to the other three new cities, all of which adopted the Public/private partnership model. A fifth new city that the author is advising is expected to be formed late in 2008. It too, is moving toward the adoption of the model. The record of success in these cities is outlined in this new book. Success is defined as the provision of more efficient government services and providing the maximum level of responsiveness to the citizens. Based on the experience of these new cities, this book strongly urges that existing cities which have followed the traditional organizational structure, for too long, give strong consideration to converting their services to the Public/Private partnership model. The Public/Private partnership model is gaining interest on a national level and recently has attracted international interest. The author was invited to participate in a number of large symposia and meetings in Japan with government, business and academic leaders, to explain the model, and its benefits. Traditional methods of providing local government services have in many cases resulted in levels of bureaucracy and waste that are unacceptable. It is time that elected officials consider new and better methods. The Public/Private partnership model as described in this, and the author s first book, provides a roadmap for introducing improved government services that should be studied by all local officials.