ABSTRACT
The chapter is based on observations gained from practical experiences of the authors as analysts for government and in chairing municipal boundary commissions, in the case of Israel. Procedures for changing municipal boundaries are not merely technical-administrative issues, as the nature of these procedures influences their outcomes: the local government map, development patterns and provision of services. Different political-ideological environments influence the relative weight assigned to concerns of local democracy and central control. In contrast to attempts to reverse the trend from internal-bureaucratic processes to more open-pluralist ones, some public pressure has emerged to move towards what is perceived as the ‘American’ local democracy model. The choice of municipal boundary change procedures always involves the dilemmas of balancing local democracy and central control. Municipal boundary change procedures in Canada and Europe stand in stark contrast to those in the US and are generally characterized by concentration of substantial power in the hands of the state.
