Benefits Of Shared Services

Here are some specifics that each citizen should consider on how shared services between Wilkesboro and North Wilkesboro might potentially benefit the towns, and in turn the lives of citizens:

1. MORE COST EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT SERVICES - One Police department, one fire department, one public works department, and one administration, etc., could potentially mean efficient services, cost savings, and possibly better emergency response times. With cost savings there is even the potential to lower taxes. It would also prevent some government overlap, and because of economies of scale, might possibly reduce the cost of some department purchase expenses.

2. BETTER STRATEGIC PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE - Consolidating a department might allow its staff to better plan for the future of our community as a whole and help it better deal with issues that our community as a whole is facing. It could possibly help our community better allocate its resources in relation to that one field.

*Shared services could bring about a lot of positive possibilities, and might be easier to accomplish than outright consolidation, but would not allow the community to partake in all of the benefits of having one consolidated town. There would still be two separate governments that would bring about issues such as planning, vision, allocation of resources, duplication, etc.