Cities and counties are overlapping jurisdictions in most US states. Virginia cities, however, are independent of counties, with separate tax bases and residents. This paper examines whether the Virginia system creates a horizontal relationship resembling that among cities in other states. It...

This paper contributes to the on-going debate over how government form affects spending. It broadens the previous focus on elected versus professional management to address the separation of legislative and executive powers. The empirical results reveal spending differences between governments...