A Tale of Two Suburbs: A Comparative Analysis of the Cost of Local Government in Long Island and in Northern Virginia

In 2007, CGR conducted a landmark comparison of local governments on Long Island with a comparable area in northern Virginia. Local government services, including schools, cost 44% less in NVA, although the level of services and citizen satisfaction with those services appear comparable. A detailed comparison of school districts and fire departments showed that NVA manages those services on a countywide/regional basis, whereas Long Island's 127 school districts and 179 fire departments create a fragmented management structure that restricts cost effective use of resources and thus is significant contributing factor to high costs and high taxes for government in New York.

Full Report

Report Date: Jan 2008
Author(s): Charles Zettek , Scott Sittig
Subject(s): Government Reorganization/Dissolution
Location: Nassau, New York