Metropolitan Organization: the St. Louis Case. Commission Report
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Current Members of the Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (August 1988) Private Citizens James S. Dwight, Jr., Arlington, Virginia Daniel J. Elazar, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Robert B. Hawkins, Jr., Chairman, San Francisco, California Members of the U.S. Senate David Durenberger, Minnesota Carl Levin, Michigan James R. Sasser, Tennessee Members of the U.S. House of Representatives Sander Levin, Michigan Jim Ross Lightfoot, Iowa Ted Weiss, New York Officers of the Executive Branch, U.S. Government Andrew H. Card, Deputy Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Affairs Ann McLaughlin, Secretary of Labor Vacancy Governors John Ashcroft, Missouri John H. Sununu, Vice Chairmun, New Hampshire Vacancy Vacancy Mayors Donald M. Fraser, Minneapolis, Minnesota William H. Hudnut, 111, Indianapolis, Indiana Robert M. Isaac, Colorado Springs, Colorado Vacancy Members of State Legislatures John T. Bragg, Deputy Speaker, Tennessee House of Representatives Ross 0.Doyen, Kansas Senate David E. Nething, North Dakota Senate Elected County Officials Philip B. Elfstrom, Kane County, Illinois, County Commission Harvey Ruvin, Metropolitan Dade County, Florida, County Commission Sandra Smoley, Sacramento County, California, Board of Supervisors - , A Commission Report Metropolitan Organization: I. I.I Louis Case ADVISORY COMMISSION ON INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS Washington, DC 20575 September 1988 M- 158 Preface This report marks the first publication in a series izational "overlays" can knit jurisdictions together at of case studies being undertaken by ACIR in an ef- key points. Economies of large scale can be cap- fort to learn more about how complex metropolitan tured without sacrificing the economies of small areas are organized and governed in our federal sys- scale. None of these good things, of course, come tem. This study focuses on the metropolitan area of about without paying a price-in this case, the costs St. Louis, Missouri, and, therein on St. Louis consist of the time and effort needed to bring about County. This area and county were selected for multijurisdictional coordination and development. study precisely because of a governmental structure The best evidence that these activities are worth the that is among the most complex in metropolitan price, however, is that citizens and officials voluntar- America. St. Louis County, organized separately ily make the effort. The costs, however great, are from the City of St. Louis, now contains 91 munici- not prohibitive. A system that keeps the cost of im- palities, 23 school districts, and 25 fire protection proving the human condition low enough that people districts, and continues to grow and develop. choose to make the effort is a system that is dynamic The research presented here follows a different and workable over the long haul-a system that will approach from typical metropolitan area studies. In- tend to make things better, not make things worse, stead of adopting a reform perspective, the ap- over time. proach in this study explicitly seeks to describe and This report is likely to be controversial because understand the organizational dynamics of a com- it challenges many of the traditional approaches to plex set of local jurisdictions in a metropolitan metropolitan reform, which have been championed county. No effort is made to measure St. Louis for many decades by those who sought to improve County against the standard of a single metropolitan local and metropolitan governance. ACIR, of government. Instead, a multiplicity of local govern- course, shares in this enduring quest to improve lo- ments is viewed as a potentially productive "local cal governance. One must, however, seek continu- ally to learn and be willing to rethink long accepted public economy," in the terms of ACIR's recent re- points of view if necessary. ACIR offers this report port The organization of Local Public Economies in that spirit-seeking to learn, through discussion (A-109), and is judged according to functional cri- and debate, as well as through systematic analysis teria. No such system is perfect, and this report has and inquiry, how to improve the ways in which we some criticisms to offer and improvements to sug- choose to govern ourselves. gest. The focus of the report, however, is on the les- The American tradition of self-governance is, as sons to be learned from the creative energies of a Alexander Hamilton put it in Federalist 1, a process productive metropolitan community of communities. that joins "reflection and choice." The American Among these lessons are some of the positive people remain dedicated to a tradition of self-gov- aspects of a jurisdictional pattern long characterized ernance and local liberty that is much older even as "fragmented. " These positive aspects include than the U.S. Constitution. No less dedication is ex- both the potential for and realization of more acces- pected from all of us who work in intergovernmental sible representation of local citizens, more economi- relations to continue linking reflection with choice in cal patterns of accountability, and greater local re- the practice of American local democracy. sponsibility for community problems. The report also notes that jurisdictional fragmentation need not Robert B. Hawkins, Jr. lead to functional fragmentation. A variety of organ- Chairman Acknowledgments This report is the product of collaborative re- drafts of this report: Donald E. Clark, St. Louis search by Roger B. Parks, Director of the Center for County Director of Planning; Professor James Bras- Policy and Public Management, School of Public field, Webster University; Professor Donald Phares, and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University, University of Missouri, St. Louis; Richard Patton, Bloomington, who was principal investigator, and Center for Metropolitan Studies, University of Mis- Ronald J. Oakerson, ACIR Senior Analyst, who was souri, St. Louis; and Professor Donald Elliott, project director. Other assistance was provided by Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. Their John Shannon, former Executive Director, and valuable comments and criticisms improved this re- Lawrence A. Hunter, former Director of Research, port in many ways. during the early phases of this project. The report Many other public officials, private citizens, and was edited by Joan Casey. Secretarial assistance was scholars in the St. Louis area and elsewhere were supplied by Anita McPhaul and Lori O'Bier. kind enough to share their insights and, frequently, Authorship of the report was shared principally data and analyses bearing upon St. Louis, in the between Parks and Oakerson. Parks had primary re- course of the research. Their contributions came in sponsibility for Chapters Four, Five, and Eight, and the form of interviews, data and analysis reports, Oakerson, for Chapters Three and Six. Chapter and detailed critiques of working drafts of this re- Seven was the joint work of Oakerson and Henry A. port. These contributors are listed on the following Bell at the Workshop in Political Theory and Policy pages with their affiliation. To each, we offer a pro- Analysis, Indiana University, Bloomington. In addi- found "thank you!" We are also very grateful to two tion to Parks, Oakerson, and Bell, the field research groups of persons not listed: individuals in 45 mu- team included Jan Leighley and Nanette Sharp. nicipalities who returned a mailed questionnaire on Preliminary plans for this study were reviewed street services and trustees in 53 residential subdivi- by an Academic Advisory Board consisting of the sions who responded either by telephone or by mail following persons: Louis de Alessi, Robert Bish, to a questionnaire on private streets. James Ferris, Bryan Jones, Ted Kolderie, Daniel Acknowledgments in a study this large always Mandelker, Stephen Mehay, Elinor Ostrom, Paul entail the risk of overlooking a significant contribu- Peterson, Derek Shearer, and Richard Wagner. tor. To anyone we have neglected to mention, Initial findings were reviewed at a critics' session on please accept our apology and thanks. Being ac- April 22, 1987, attended by Ann Cole, William Col- knowledged as a contributor does not imply agree- man, Edwin Connerly, Lawrence A. Hunter, Susan ment with the data, analysis, and interpretations Lauffer, Michael Libonati, Dolores Martin, James presented in this report. Nor are the contributors L. Martin, Richard Moore, Steve Moore, William and critical reviewers in any way responsible for re- Niskanen, Doug Peterson, Mark Schneider, John maining errors. That responsibility belongs to the Thomas, and Louise White. ACIR and its staff. ACIR is very appreciative of the time, effort, and expertise contributed by five individuals in the John Kincaid St. Louis area who critically reviewed one or more Executive Director Contributors to the Research Stephen Ables, St. Louis County Municipal League Charles Dooley, Mayor, Northwoods E. W. Abram, Mayor, Bridgeton Leatrice Dowd, Mayor, Pagedale Gene Anthony, Trustee Chairman, Marlborough George Appel, Mayor, Bella Villa Donald Elliott, Professor, Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville Robert Elsea, Executive Director, Cooperating Donald Bauer, Mayor, Manchester School Districts of the St. Louis Suburban Area William Bell, Superintendent, Steve Elsner, Mayor, Oakland Jennings School District Harold Evangelists, Mayor, Black Jack Edwin Benton, Superintendent, Riverview Gardens School District Jerome Feldman, City Manager, Olivette Clyde Blakey. Mayor, Velda Village James