Dalton/Whitfield Contracts With Institute For Consolidation Study
On August 17, Vinson Institute consolidation experts entered into a contract with the Dalton-Whitfield County Charter and Consolidation Commission as the commission weighs the pros and cons of merging city and county governments into a single unified entity.
Over the next two months, Public Service Associate Betty Hudson will interview department heads, review budgets, compare city and county services, and analyze financial data to study the feasibility of merging law enforcement, parks and recreation, public works, utilities, and administration. The findings will then be compiled into a report that will be presented to the consolidation commission.
Consolidation studies usually take a year to complete, but the Institute will finish the Dalton/Whitfield study by December. The accelerated timing gives the consolidation commission time to consider the results of the Institute's findings and draft a consolidation charter by April 30, 2012, if the commission decides to merge government services. Voters of both the City of Dalton and Whitfield County would then vote on the charter in the November 2012 general elections.
You can learn more about government consolidation by watching What You Need to Know about City-County Consolidation.
The Vinson Institute's Local Government Services Program creates customized assistance programs to help governments plan effectively for the future, increase efficiency, and adapt to change.
