How was the survey conducted?

Each of the 17 cities in Ramsey County, the City of Oakdale, North Oaks Home Owners’ Association, Ramsey County and the school districts in Ramsey County received a survey questioning its use of shared services, as well as staffing levels and operating budget numbers. After the survey was completed, members of the Suburban Business Councils and Saint Paul Area Chamber staff conducted
in-person interviews with city, school district and county officials.
Survey information was compiled and tabulated, and city, school district and county officials had the opportunity to review the data.

It should be noted that there may be great variations between cities and school districts due to differences in geographic size, population and demographic differences. 

Benefits of Shared Services

“Shared service is an integral element of Oakdale’s operations.  With the major budget cuts that all public entities have experienced, there would be no way that we could meet the service expectations of our citizens without working together with other public agencies.  Our
work with the School District, St. Paul, Maplewood, and North
St. Paul, continually allows us to enhance our service level to our citizens while delivering those services in the most cost-effective manner!”

Oakdale City Manager Craig Waldron    

The City of Gem Lake embarked on a new frontier of sharing services when in January 2007 it replaced its part-time City Clerk/Administrator and Treasurer/Assistant City Clerk with services provided by staff
from White Bear Township. The city services needed by Gem Lake were supplied at agreed upon hourly rates by the WBT Town Clerk, Finance Officer, utility billing personnel and secretarial/paralegal and license/permit personnel. Additional services such as public works
and planning can also be purchased.  It looks like Gem Lake can purchase these services as well as having additional effort provided
by the Gem Lake Mayor and City Council members to actually provide additional city services at approximately one-half of the year 2006
cost. This is a win/win situation for the residents of both the
Township and the City as Gem Lake.  As an extra bonus, the City and Township are now constructing a joint Town Hall/City Hall to provide the first City Hall for Gem Lake and a meeting room/voters polling
place for both White Bear Township and Gem Lake. This building, located on the Township/City border, is now under construction with occupancy expected by the end of the year.

Gem Lake Mayor Paul Emeott    

The days of “going it alone” for cities and counties doing police and fire communications are over.  Ramsey County, Saint Paul and most
of the suburbs use the new consolidated Emergency Communications Center for dispatching emergency responders.  Old geographic boundaries that restricted emergency responses are being removed
and the result is multi-jurisdictional government collaboration at its best.

The emergency radio system is the latest in a long line of cost saving, service improving joint ventures between Ramsey County and its municipalities.  We have shared services in Public Health, Job
Training, Elections, GIS and other areas.  Collaborations “make sense” and “save cents” for taxpayers.

Ramsey County Commissioner Jim McDonough    

"Due to the demographic trends that will be in place for the
foreseeable future it is now more than ever imperative that all units of government work together to share services and control costs." 

Ramsey County League of Local Governments    

“Our number-one priority is student achievement!  Anything we can
do to make our operations more efficient creates more dollars for the classroom which brings us right back to achievement.  Our funds
come from the taxpayer and we have been entrusted to manage them effectively.  In that vein alone we will always look for ways in which
we can share services to work more efficiently and effectively. For example, our partnerships with our Cities enables us to provide field space year round for local athletics while the Cities assist with the maintenance, creating dollars that now can be used back in our programming.  We all win in scenarios such as this.”

North Saint Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale    
School Board Member Marc Cove