http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consolidated_city-county

With several dozen jurisdictions (Fargo, West Fargo, Horace, etc, their respective school districts, water districts, sewer, etc) on the Cass side of the river, consolidating the local governments and services would allow more effective and efficient government, eliminate some duplicate services, allow more detailed and thought out planning. These administrative tasks could be concentrated in a single location(such as the city hall tower proposed by producertroy elsewhere), making it easier for citizens to navigate the bureaucracy, which is currently spread throughout the city and county.

Additionally, it would provide more equitable funding for areas with fewer resources, such as the smaller towns and school districts on the outskirts.

A final potential upside would be to eliminate the petty, often meaningless rivalries between the cities and towns, and allow major issues to be confronted as a more unified entity.