Services

1.__Establishment.__The Fund for the Efficient Delivery of Local and Regional Services, referred to in this chapter as "the fund," is established as a dedicated, special revenue account to provide a financial incentive for voluntary collaboration among municipalities or among one or more municipalities and one or more counties to reduce the costs of delivering local and regional governmental services.

2.__Fund source; nonlapsing.__The fund consists of revenues transferred from the Local Government Fund pursuant to section 5681, subsection 5-B and Public Law 2003, chapter 20, Part W, section 2 and any funds received as contributions from private and public sources.__Eligible investment earnings credited to the assets of the fund become part of the assets of the fund.__Any balance remaining in the fund at the end of any fiscal year must be carried forward to the next fiscal year, except that the maximum fund balance, less any encumbrances, at the end of any fiscal year must not exceed 150% of the revenue accrued to the fund during that fiscal year.__Revenue in the fund in excess of the maximum fund balance, less any encumbrances, must be returned to the Local Government Fund and distributed in addition to all other revenue otherwise accruing to the Local Government Fund the subsequent fiscal year.

3.__Administration.__The fund, to be accounted within the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, must be held separate and apart from all other money, funds and accounts.__The State Planning Office shall administer the fund according to the grant application review and decision process established in subsection 5.

4.__Fund eligibility.__The fund is available solely to fund proposed efficiency projects jointly presented in a collaborative application pursuant to subsections 6 to 9 by 2 or more municipalities or one or more municipalities and one or more regional service providers, including counties, regional planning commissions or councils of government established pursuant to chapter 119, or development districts established pursuant to chapter 206.__Municipalities and regional service providers may contract with nongovernmental organizations and individuals for the purpose of carrying out projects supported by the fund.

5. Establishment of review panel; review and decision on grant applications.__The Governor shall appoint the following members to serve as the review panel, which, in accordance with rules developed by the State Planning Office pursuant to