Municipal control or alternative delivery method? This is the question that has intrigued all levels of local government and created intense debates among municipal taxpayers. The services provided by Municipalities are often vital to the existence of an area. Issues relating to accountability, cost savings, quality of service and democracy often arise when choosing the best options for providing services to a municipal area. In recent years, the concepts of privatization, alternative service provision and public-private partnerships have often been promoted as ways to reduce cities' overburdened annual budgets and promote better quality of service to citizens. Historically, municipalities have provided basic services such as fire protection, water purification/treatment and recreational facilities. However, would private companies or another municipality be able to provide the same services more efficiently and at a lower cost? The city or town often provides a bottom-up policy approach to most local problems. Municipalities are better positioned and have a broader scope to provide services to their constituents, to ensure a quality of service that does not undermine accountability and transparency, or push the municipality deeper into debt. The new public management states that “cities are growing more and more like companies that refer to citizens as customers, meaning they provide products or goods (services) to the customer (taxpayers)”. This had led to greater demand for better quality at the lowest cost to the taxpayer. When looking at cost savings and alternative deliveries, municipalities face a difficult decision when choosing to contract out essential services. An example...... middle of paper...... "The problem of public-private partnerships. The economic crisis exposes the high costs and risks of P3s." Last modified April 1, 2009. Accessed November 16, 2013. http://www.policyalternatives.ca/publications/monitor/problem-public-private-partnerships.Sherwin, Fred. “The city will take over management of the Ray Friel complex.” Orleans online, , sec. Local, April 26, 2012. http://www.orleansonline.ca/pages/N2007042601.htm (accessed November 1, 2013).Warner, Mildred. Pragmatism on politics: problems of privatization. “International City/County Management Association,” Cornell University Community Research. 2004 Washington DC Municipal Yearbook: pp.8-16.Whiteside, Heather. 2013. “Stabilizing Privatization: Crisis, Enabling Fields, and Public-Private Partnerships in Canada.” Alternative Routes 24, 85. Supplementary Index, EBSCOhost (accessed November 19, 2013.