City Hall, Park Hills, Missouri
Located in St. Francois County
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I find my work at City Hall fascinating because the municipality in question did not exist until 1994. The City of Park Hills was consolidated from the towns of and around Flat River and Elvins shown below. The consolidation committee chose the Council, Mayor and City Administrator form of government for the new municipal corporation. SEMO RPEDC staff chose ward boundaries along the outlines of the old communities for ease of population estimates in balancing the voter to council member ratio. This also perpetuated some political divisiveness.
Four communities voted to consolidate. Two cities chose to remain outside the new municipality. Desloge and Leadington still exist as neighboring communities adjacent to the new city. The city of Park Hills continues to serve the neighboring communities with a combined water and sewer service as well as mutual aid for fire and police protection. Effects arising from the proximity of the remaining unconsolidated cities are best described by the Tiebout Hypothesis.