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The Charlotte model for competition
Author(s) -
Gullet Barry M.,
Bean Douglas O.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
journal ‐ american water works association
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.466
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1551-8833
pISSN - 0003-150X
DOI - 10.1002/j.1551-8833.1997.tb08209.x
Subject(s) - competition (biology) , agency (philosophy) , private sector , government (linguistics) , business , local government , finance , public administration , economics , economic growth , political science , sociology , ecology , social science , linguistics , philosophy , biology
In North Carolina, local government competed with the private sector and won. The Charlotte–Mecklenburg Utility Department (CMUD), a municipal agency, provides water and wastewater services to approximately 500,000 residents of Charlotte and Mecklenburg counties in the southern Piedmont region of North Carolina. Spurred by inquiries from the private sector, unsolicited proposals to purchase system components, and political interest, CMUD decided to allow private firms to compete with city staff for the operation and maintenance of two of the department's eight treatment plants. Eight proposals were received from private firms and from the department's own bid team, referred to as Charlotte Mecklenburg–Contract Operations (CM–ConOP). CM–ConOp submitted the lowest‐cost proposal, which will result in savings of $4.2 million over the contract's five‐year term. In addition, the Charlotte model for competition showed that the public sector can compete successfully with private firms and that the result can be a complete change in the way the agency does business.