Conducting Cost of Community Service Studies

This is a good starting point for any municipality in Pennsylvania that wants to perform a COCS study. Provides a step-by-step approach on preparing for, conducting the study, and interpreting your results.

An excellent first step in understanding a COCS study and how they can help shape your community. Defines the steps of conducting your own COCS, including linked worksheets and in-depth examples.

Saving land saves money. More than 80 Cost of Community Services (COCS) studies conducted nationwide by the American Farmland Trust and others show that privately owned farm, forest and ranch lands generate more in local revenues than they require in services.

This Workbook for Citizens & Officials, developed by specialists at Penn State's Cooperative Extension, is intended to assist those conducting economic analysis of specific proposed residential development in communities, using the Per Capita Multiplier method of analysis to predict the impacts on school districts and township or borough governments. A version of the workbook is available for use on-line, which is quick and easy, though does not have the same flexibility as the paper version of the workbook.

"This report indicates that protected open space adds significant value to the county’s economy, with benefits for businesses, governments, and households. This value occurs in different ways—some are direct revenue streams to individuals or governments, some represent appreciation in asset values, others are the result of avoided costs. Building off a previous regional report and using standard economic analysis techniques, this report estimates the economic value of protected open space in Chester County by measuring impacts across five areas: property values, environmental benefits, recreation and health, economic activity, and cost of community services."

Although the primary reason to protect important parts of the community is to ensure a high quality of life, saving land saves money for taxpayers. Land preservation is an investment in your community’s future—providing both financial and quality of life dividends. This guide explains how to conduct cost of community services studies and includes examples from Pennsylvania municipalities.

This is one of a series of lesson plans taken from the State of Maryland’s Teacher’s Resource Guide on Growth and Its Impacts. Teachers can use the plan to illustrate how the costs of a community are impacted by different land uses.