outsourcing

Click here to view and here to listen to Dr. Michael Sanera discussing this Regional Brief. RALEIGH — County governments across North Carolina should have an easier time…

County governments all over North Carolina are saving money by privatizing services. In an effort to assist in the exchange of information about these activities, the John Locke Foundation conducted a survey of all 100 counties asking county managers to tell us about governmental activities that they currently supply privately. We also asked them if they had problems in the past with a privatized activity that had caused them to return the activity to government provision.

Many cities and counties in North Carolina and throughout the nation have benefited from the ongoing revolution in solid waste management. Competition in the private sector has led to larger landfills that are better for the environment and less expensive. Only seven North Carolina counties have failed to take advantage of the market in landfill services. When the North Wake County landfill closes in 2007, the county should not replace it with a new county-owned facility. Instead, it should allow cities and towns to find the best value for their citizens in the landfill market.