Approval to join the officer structures of two Somerset councils is expected to be given at meetings next week.
If agreed, the move would deliver ongoing annual savings of £1.6m for Taunton Deane BC and £300,000 for West Somerset DC.
The changes would require a £2.7m one-off investment to cover the likes of staff termination, IT and programme costs.
A report to a meeting of Taunton Deane BC on Tuesday November 12 read: ‘By reducing the overall cost of senior management and by sharing service delivery, both councils can mitigate the impact of Government funding cuts on their frontline services.
‘Both councils recognise that this business case alone will not resolve the entirety of the financial challenges ahead.’
The report said there would be fewer staff employed in the future than at present but did not disclose figures.