Municipalities have many opportunities available to them to enhance the delivery of services to their ratepayers. The development of cost-sharing agreements is important for municipalities to consider for the following reasons:

1. Efficiency – Creates efficiencies and possibly economies of scale. Enhance the delivery of services and avoids duplication of effort/expenditure.
2. Community Building – The public expects municipal representatives (elected and appointed) to set an example for the community and provide leadership on cooperative initiatives. Councillors must work together as a community to achieve common goals, and cooperation is tied to better service for residents. Relationships are the key to building successful agreements.
3. Economic Growth – Common community goals and cooperative efforts will enhance the opportunity to attract economic growth and improve economic development to the area.
4. Municipal Autonomy – Municipal autonomy assists municipalities to develop solutions suitable to their own settings, avoids forced amalgamations and allows municipalities to control their own destiny.
5. United Voice – The development of co-operative initiatives and agreements allows municipalities to speak with one voice to government, thus achieving strength in unity and providing greater opportunity to influence other orders of government.
6. Community Capacity – Understanding the needs of the broader community and collectively bringing to bear the necessary resources to provide a more effective and broader range of programs and services not possible individually. Municipalities are representatives of the citizens, and are stewards of the resources available. A municipality has a responsibility to maximize the use of resources through collective sharing to benefit the community as a whole while preserving municipal autonomy.

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