Municipal privatization

Governments across the country have been outsourcing traditional government services at an ever-increasing rate. Researchers debate the efficiency of privatization, and evidence exists both for and against increased private production of public goods. At the local level of government, a growing trend is privatization in the form of public-private partnerships. To determine the efficiency of these partnerships between municipal governments and private companies, this study examines the "most" privatized city in the United States, Sandy Springs, Georgia. I compared spending in Sandy Springs to five similar nearby cities and derived cost estimates of government services. I found that the "Sandy Springs Model" of local government lowered costs and increased efficiency when compared to traditional municipalities.