Across the nation, local governments are increasingly under pressure to perform efficiently and effectively in an environment marked by limited financial resources. For this reason, the topic of overlapping services, which occurs when two or more public entities provide a similar service to citizens within the same jurisdiction, has become a major concern not only in Houston but also in cities across the county.
Overlapping services – which include cities and counties that provide similar services such as animal control, law enforcement, housing and health and human services – present opportunities to cut costs and improve outcomes. However, changes to these services can also prove contentious among residents.
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