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Hampton Roads is one of the most economically and culturally significant metropolitan areas on the East Coast and in the nation. With approximately 1.8 million residents, it boasts a rich history, a powerful military presence, a major port infrastructure, and a growing economy fueled by tourism, shipbuilding and shipping, logistics and transportation, federal centers of excellence (NASA, Jefferson Lab), and higher education.
But despite its collective strengths, Hampton Roads is held back by a structural flaw that is both glaring and solvable: the sheer number of independent governing bodies.Eighteen. That’s how many separate cities, counties and towns officially make up the Hampton Roads Metropolitan Statistical Area: 18 independent governments, each with its own mayor, city council, school board, police department, fire service, administrative structures, etc.
This fragmentation leads to duplication of services, inconsistent policies, wasted resources, and a regional government that too often operates at cross-purposes rather than as a unified whole. In a region competing on a national and global scale, this is not just inefficient — it’s self-defeating.Coordinating improvements across 18 separate governments is a logistical nightmare.
Each locality has its own budget, priorities and planning process, often resulting in piecemeal solutions rather than cohesive, strategic investments. Perhaps this fragmentation is why Hampton Roads is one of the largest metropolitan areas without a major sports team.Economic development suffers, too.
When major employers consider relocating or expanding in Hampton Roads, they face a labyrinth of conflicting tax incentives, zoning regulations and permitting processes. Regional economic development efforts are hamstrung by political turf wars, with cities competing against one another instead of presenting a unified front. Northern Virginia, Charlotte and Raleigh — our direct competitors for business investment — operate with far more streamlined governance models, giving them a competitive edge.
Public services are another casualty of fragmentation. Why should 18 separate governments each maintain their own administrative departments when consolidating these services could reduce costs and improve response times? Why should there be 18 separate school districts, each with its own administrative overhead, when a regional school authority could pool resources and improve educational equity?Consolidation does not mean erasing local identities. Norfolk will always be Norfolk, and Virginia Beach will always be Virginia Beach.
But regional governance structures that align decision-making, planning and resource allocation would unlock enormous efficiencies and strategic advantages. A model similar to that of Indianapolis’ “Unigov” or Louisville’s city-county merger could serve Hampton Roads well. Both cities maintained local identities and political representation while streamlining administrative functions, reducing costs and boosting economic development.
A consolidated regional government could:Centralize infrastructure planning to accelerate improvements and secure federal funding more effectively.Create a unified economic development authority to market Hampton Roads as a single, business-friendly entity.Streamline public services such as policing, firefighting and waste management to reduce costs and improve service delivery.
Coordinate education policy to ensure consistent quality across the region and eliminate administrative bloat.The obstacles to consolidation are not logistical — they are political. Local officials will resist relinquishing control, and some residents will fear losing their local identity.
But the status quo is not working. Hampton Roads is failing to reach its full potential because it is structured for small-scale governance when large-scale thinking is required.Sign up for Viewpoints, an opinion newsletterA consolidated Hampton Roads would be more competitive, more efficient and better positioned to tackle the complex challenges of the 21st century.
The question is not whether consolidation makes sense — it clearly does. The question is whether we have the political will to make it happen.The time for action is now.
The future of Hampton Roads depends on it.William Donaldson, Ph.D.
, of Newport News is a professor of finance and management at Christopher Newport University and the author of “Simple_Complexity: A Management Book for the Rest of US: A Guide to Systems Thinking” and “Estimated Time of Departure: How I Talked My Parents to Death: A Love Story.”.
