Given the economic and political relevance of local public utilities, the paper aims to explore the intricacy of the relationship between property, governance and control. Local authorities, after the recent reform, have considerable changed their role in the provision of local public services. There comes the call for a change in the governance structure and internal organizations of local authorities in order to being able to monitor and control the level of efficiency and quality of the services provided to the local community.
The paper presents the results of a research conducted in the Emilia-Romagna Region, compared to the evidence raised in the case of the Lombardia Region (see D'Aries & Bracci, 2007). The conclusions stress the need for a cultural and infrastructural swift of local authorities whether they are willing to exert an effective role of governance and control.