Published as A Directory of Interlocal Activity , the survey identified over 400 interlocal service programs operating among municipalities. Cooperative purchasing programs and joint insurance funds are an unqualified success. Likewise, boards of education also participate in their own joint insurance efforts. With the notable exceptions of police patrol services and direct fire fighting activities, interlocal or shared service agreements are commonly used to provide virtually every function of local government. Public safety activities do make widespread use of mutual aid agreements for back-up and assistance.
Local officials have a great interest in exploring shared programs.
They also have realistic expectations about the results and problems of implementing shared services. Shared services offer the greatest potential for smaller, geographically compact communties. Municipalities with greater land area and fewer population centers tend to benefit less. This is particularly true of smaller communities with resource limitations, such as those in the Pinelands region. County government should play a greater role in shared services.