Competitive Cities: A Report Card on Efficiency in Service Delivery in America's Largest Cities.

• Position: Brief Article

Moore, Adrian T.; Nolan, James; and Segal, Geoffrey A. with Taylor, Matthew

Reason Public Policy Institute, Policy Study No. 282, April 2001. 80 pp.

Consumers can turn to a variety of sources for objective information on just about any good or service they intend to purchase. When it comes to government services, however, taxpayers are almost always left in the dark. This recently released study by Reason Public Policy Institute (RPPI) attempts to bridge this gap by measuring and comparing the efficiency with which America's largest cities are delivering core government services. Using an econometric technique called data envelopment analysis (DEA), the authors calculated efficiency scores for 11 services, including building maintenance, emergency medical services, fire protection, fleet management, libraries, parks and recreation, police protection, solid waste, street repair, transit, and water. The study spans the six-year period from 1993-1998. Overall, Phoenix ranked as the most efficient of the 44 cities surveyed, while Los Angeles was the least efficient. In addition...