To Frack or Not to Frack?: How a Small New York Town's Decision-Making Process Came Up Short - Softcover

In 2012 officials in the Town of Colden, a small, New York town near Buffalo, set in motion a policy-making process to decide whether or not to allow gas and oil drilling in their town using the controversial drilling technique known as “fracking.” In 2015 this policy-making process collapsed without a decision one way or the other. What went wrong? The town’s struggle to deal with a complex public issue broke down due to its failure to observe fundamental governing principles —including the rule of law, workforce training and political responsiveness. This book, an excellent case study for college classroom use, will also help small town officials and citizens take a hard look at their own governing procedures.