The Metropolitan Area Problem

Intergovernmental service agreements, transfer of functional responsibility to the county and state levels, establishment of regional special districts and state-controlled public authorities, and federal preemption during the past fifteen years have combined to effect major changes in the metropolitan governance system. Available evidence sug gests that few metropolitan governments will be created by popularly approved charters during the next decade and the ones created probably will be located in the South. The up ward transfer of functional responsibility, however, will incrementally transform a number of counties into metro politan governments. The failure of charters creating area wide governments to win voter approval and the growing seriousness of metropolitan problems have been responsible for state and federal initiatives seeking solutions for the prob lems. The most important state initiatives have been the establishment of the Twin Cities Metropolitan Council and the creation of state-controlled public authorities in New York. The federal initiative has taken the form of promotion of interlocal cooperation and exercise of preemptive powers. Whereas interlocal cooperation has failed to solve the major problems of the metropolis, partial federal preemption of the right to regulate air and water pollution abatement has en hanced the quality of the environment.