COUNTY - Three municipalities are being urged to work together to improve services to their taxpayers in a move that could pave the way for eventual amalgamation.

 Dartmouth-based Marathon Human Resource Consulting Group released its report on regional governance and shared services Monday night in Mahone Bay.

 The $110,000 study looked at services, facilities and programs in the towns of Bridgewater and Mahone Bay and the Municipality of Lunenburg at the request of those units.

 While it won't necessarily save taxpayers money immediately, the consulting firm recommends more shared municipal services which it suggests will improve delivery and could decrease costs down the road.

 It suggests the three units, which are already planning a new joint authority for solid waste management, also work together to provide recreation services and encourage economic development. After that, other areas could also be considered.

 The recommended Lunenburg Regional Services Board would include four members from the municipality, three from Bridgewater and two from Mahone Bay.

 It would operate as a separate municipal corporation, gradually cost sharing more services. The units would continue to individually operate services not transferred to the joint board.

 As shared services are implemented, the consultants recommend any staff reductions be accomplished gradually, through attrition and transfer.

 Short-term cost savings are unlikely, according to the report, since service and compensation levels typically rise to the highest existing level among participating units. However, it suggests both savings and improved services are achievable in the long run.

 The consultants found that all three units are in fairly good financial positions compared to others in the province. However, they face significant challenges in everything from infrastructure renewal to aging populations.

 The main means of revenue generation lies with increased taxes, but elected officials don't want to further burden residents so they need to attract business to augment the commercial tax base.

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 Finally, the report recommends the three units take another look at possible amalgamation three years down the road.

 The consultants looked at that option, but saw only limited savings by reducing the number of councillors and senior administrators.

 "We didn't see a lot of big savings in the hard service areas and the on-the-ground service areas," Brian Smith told the group. "It favours staying where you are right now."

 However, he said there are other advantages to consider, such as eliminating duplicate services, better use of human resources and having everything under one roof.

 Some of those things can be achieved, he said, "without going all the way," by sharing services.

 That doesn't mean "slashing and burning and cutting," he explained, but realigning rather than reducing staff.

 All three mayors said Monday they believe greater sharing of services will be a good gauge of future amalgamation considerations.

 "This is, I think, our best possible solution to see whether or not we can really make any difference and I believe that we can," Mahone Bay Mayor Joe Feeney said. "We're not going to get amalgamation at this point. Potentially, amalgamation will come."

 He recognizes that for some the amalgamation option is unpalatable, while others will say it should be done now.

 Mayor Feeney believes pulling the five units in the county together would be impossible now, particularly given the Municipality of Chester's tendency to gravitate to Halifax Regional Municipality. He suggested there would be hurdles even to amalgamate the three participating units at this point.

 "We would get gridlock," he said. "So this is an interim step. If people see after two years or three years that this works and we've managed to keep adding in services, then I think it will be a lot easier to take the next step if that is the best thing to do at that time," Mayor Feeney said.

 Municipal Mayor Don Downe agreed it's a chance to test the waters.

 "This is an historic day," he said. "Many people three years ago would have said that it's not even possible for municipalities in Lunenburg County to work together on that level and to go forward with an initiative as daring as this.

 "I've been talking about the need to co-operate and work together for a long time," Mayor Downe said. "We've got to figure out how we can be more cost-effective because we just can't keep going back to taxpayers to continue to increase taxes because they can't afford it."

 Whether increasing shared services will lead to amalgamation any time soon Mayor Downe said is still unclear, but he thinks it will eventually happen.

 "I don't see it as being a bad word. I see it as an issue that needs to be looked at and studied and determined whether or not there's a benefit to doing it," he said.

 "The taxpayers and the public certainly are indicating to me that the level of government that we currently have is very big for 50,000 people."

 Bridgewater Mayor Carroll Publicover said he's pleased with the proposed increase in shared services but would have liked the consultants to go further.

 "I believe that the report basically reinforces and emphasizes the things that we've all thought were true all the way along, that the synergy of working together produces more positive results than we could get working separately," he said.

 "I'm pleased that it's moving us in that direction. Personally, I would have moved faster," Mayor Publicover said.

 "There has to be a new way of delivering municipal services or we're not going to stay in business. The province will be writing a different script, I'm sure of it."

 The three units will host public input sessions between January 23 and 31. People can also drop off comments at town and municipal offices or e-mail them as follows: Mahone Bay to tmbfeedback@marathonhrcg.com, Bridgewater to tbwfeedback@marathonhrcg.com or the Municipality of Lunenburg to modlfeedback@marathonhrcg.com.

 All input should be received by February 6.

 Councils could vote on the report and its recommendations as early as mid-February.

posted on 01/18/12