New Residents and the Demand for Public Services in Growing Communities: Local Officials' Perceptions and Responses

Abstract

The common wisdom in many growing communities is that newcomers demand more services than do long-term residents. Dissimilar attitudes toward local services can have important effects on local government activities and services. This study investigates whether municipal officials in growing areas perceive such a difference in the demand for services; it then examines the relationship between these perceptions and actual service delivery changes in the officials' communities to see whether such perceptions really matter. The study confirms not only that many officials believe this stereotype but also that such officials were much more likely to have increased services in the past 5 years. This suggests that the stereotype, far from being innocuous, may have implications for local taxes and service provision.

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