Camden County alone has 37 municipalities. Map: Wikipedia |
Regional planning and service provision can solve these inefficiencies, and many local governments have moved in this direction, to varying extents. Major cities like Miami, Indianapolis and Nashville have merged their city and county governments. Portland, Oregon has a regional government that handles big-picture land use, transportation and waste management issues. Pennsylvania and New Jersey both took an important first step in the early 2000's by providing funds for multi-municipal comprehensive plans.
Christie's plan doesn't specifically mention land use planning and zoning. And, of course, Christie emphasizes the potential to reduce taxes, and peppers in his usual ire toward school districts. But sharing the cost of services across municipal boundaries is a no-brainer, and should be implemented with the support of both political parties.
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