Advancing Northeast Ohio through Government Collaboration
More efficient, effective local government is the goal. EfficientGovNow is the program designed by the Fund for Our Economic Future to help Northeast Ohio achieve that goal. In 2009, the Fund awarded the first round of EfficientGovNow grant awards. As the Fund continues EfficientGovNow, this blog will track of the progress of the program’s second round, as well as feature ongoing information about government collaboration and efficiency efforts throughout the 16 counties of Northeast Ohio.
- Fund Announces EfficientGovNow Award Recipients2010-06-09 10:17:34A consolidated land bank, merged safety dispatch and a novel effort to stimulate greater use of solar electricity earned the top spots from nearly 17,500 Northeast Ohioans who voted in the EfficientGovNow competition sponsored by the Fund for Our Economic Future.
- Fund to Reveal EfficientGovNow Award Recipients June 9 2010-06-08 14:12:38All Northeast Ohioans, including the EfficientGovNow finalists and their supporters, are invited to view the live EfficientGovNow awards webcast, which will be available at EfficientGovNow.org, June 9 at 11 a.m.
- Top Spots Still Shaky in Voting Race that Ends May 312010-05-28 09:14:54We’ve seen position changes and surges of momentum from all of the finalists, but we still can’t definitively say who will be the top three vote-getters, who will share $330,000 in grant money from the Fund for Our Economic Future. The voting is that close.
- Leaders Change in Race for $330,000 in Grants2010-05-26 19:44:22With only five days left in the EfficientGovNow public voting process, thousands of Northeast Ohioans have weighed in to help select which local government efficiency projects will share $330,000 in grant awards. Since the last update of the standings, the Countywide 9-1-1 Dispatch Center (Stark County) project has jumped from fourth to second place.
- WCPN to Feature EfficientGovNow 2010-05-26 14:56:11Live on 90.3 WCPN at 9 a.m. on May 27, the EfficientGovNow finalists will pitch why their projects should share $330,000 in funding from the Fund for Our Economic Future
- Standings Squeeze Tight in Final Week of Voting2010-05-24 13:47:41The voting margins can’t get much slimmer than they are right now, meaning we could see multiple position changes at our next standings update.
- Voting Margins Tighten in Race for $330,0002010-05-21 09:39:02Even though the standings stayed the same since our standings update on Wednesday, the voting margins are getting razor thin. Only the top three vote-getters will share $330,000 in grant money from the Fund for Our Economic Future.
- EfficientGovNow Updates Standings in Race for $330,000 in Grants2010-05-19 13:51:30More than halfway into the EfficientGovNow public voting process, thousands of Northeast Ohioans have weighed in to help select which local government efficiency projects will share $330,000 in grant awards.
- Interact with the Project Map of the EfficientGovNow Finalists2010-05-12 17:23:14We’ve updated our project map since the announcement of the EfficientGovNow finalists. See for yourself by checking out this interactive map of the projects, which span across the region of Northeast Ohio.
- Update: Are your favorite EfficientGovNow projects winning the race for $330,000?2010-05-12 14:10:55Since our update on Monday of the EfficientGovNow voting standings, we’ve seen a bit of a shake up in the standings thanks to the more than 1,100 votes cast yesterday.
- Local Officials Seek Clarifications on Inter-City Collaborations2010-05-11 08:19:02A group of state and local officials hopes to expand local communities' ability to pool resources with one another as a cost saving tool. ideastream's Bill Rice reports that as the idea of resource sharing gains traction, the law may need some tweaking.
- Are your favorite EfficientGovNow projects winning the race for $330,000?2010-05-10 14:15:28A little more than one week into EfficientGovNow voting, front runners are emerging—with the leading five vote-getters running an especially tight race. Only the top three vote-getters will share $330,000 in grant money from the Fund for Our Economic Future.
- VIDEO: 90 seconds of reasons to help us give away $330K with three clicks 2010-05-05 12:56:31Need an easy way to show your friends the importance of participating in EfficientGovNow voting? Share this 90-second video.
- EfficientGovNow Voting Opens; Media Note Finalists2010-05-03 14:50:23EfficientGovNow's public voting started May 1 and runs through May 31, with the winners to be announced in early June. The opening of voting and the EfficientGovNow finalists have gained the attention of numerous media outlets across the region.
- EfficientGovNow Names Ten Project Finalists2010-04-30 14:34:35The Fund for Our Economic Future has named ten finalists competing for EfficientGovNow awards. Three winners will be determined by a public vote to be held from May 1 through May 31, with the Fund reserving the option to award a fourth grant to a collaboration involving smaller communities.
- How Social Media Can Effect Real Social and Governmental Change2010-04-22 08:36:59Substantial social and governmental change is still being implemented today through social networks, this time at the speed of the Internet.
- EfficientGovNow Challenges Northeast Ohioans to Speak Up for Government Collaboration2010-04-13 08:33:54Starting May 1, the residents of Northeast Ohio will be invited to vote for their favorite EfficientGovNow project finalists (to be announced April 30) and ultimately decide which partnerships will share as much as $330,000 in funding.
- Potential Municipal Mergers by Chagrin Valley Communities Get Editorial Support2010-04-01 16:03:43A recent Chagrin Solon Sun editorial supports efforts of the mayors of Moreland Hills, Orange and Pepper Pike toward municipal mergers, opening an opportunity for Northeast Ohioans to add their voices to the conversation.
- Public Demand Becoming the ‘Carrot’ to Collaborate2010-03-31 09:53:01On matters of growth and development in your community, tell us how you want local government officials to regard neighboring communities.
- Qualified project abstracts posted; Public comments wanted2010-03-24 14:31:27All 31 of the qualified abstracts have been posted in full to the “proposals” section of this site and we want to know what YOU think of them.
- Interact with the project map2010-03-15 13:43:39Check out this interactive map of the EfficientGovNow Round 2 projects, whose 380 partners collectively span 15 counties.
- Round 2 Receives 50 Project Ideas2010-03-02 11:20:58EfficientGovNow has received 50 project ideas from partnerships across 15 counties. We're on to reviewing them to ensure that they meet the EfficientGovNow criteria and we’ve posted all 50 ideas so you, too, can review and comment on any or all of the projects.
- Commission invites officials, public to share gov’t efficiency ideas at 2/26 event in Canton2010-02-22 11:41:24Government officials and the public are invited to share government efficiency ideas at the next meeting of the Ohio Commission on Local Government Reform and Collaboration on February 26 at Malone University in Canton.
- Expanding coverage of EfficientGovNow2010-02-19 13:49:36Local government matters and deserves our attention. That is why the backers of EfficientGovNow have retained Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Bob Paynter to help explain to the region the role local government plays in the economic competitiveness.
- EfficientGovNow project ideas continue to arrive2010-02-19 09:35:43The second round of EfficientGovNow has received five project abstracts from some early birds. We’re excited to see an impressive number of communities involved in each of the project ideas we’ve seen so far.
- First round two project idea arrives extra early2010-01-28 12:59:13EfficientGovNow's second round has received its first project abstract – more than a month before the deadline.
- Joint Fire District Panel Shows One Route to EfficientGovNow2010-01-21 09:02:55More action around government collaboration was added in Northeast Ohio recently when the City of Canal Fulton and Lawrence Township agreed to form a committee to study the feasibility of creating a joint fire district.
- Talking Up EfficientGovNow to Encourage Participation2010-01-19 09:24:06Organizers of EfficientGovNow are hitting the road this month and next to spread the word among local officials about the second round of the competitive grants program aimed at accelerating government collaboration and efficiency in Northeast Ohio.
- EfficientGovNow Program Returns with Round Two Launch2010-01-18 14:45:02On January 5, the Fund for Our Economic Future launched the second round of EfficientGovNow.
- 10 Easy Ways Northeast Ohioans Can Spur the Second Round of EfficientGovNow2009-12-18 11:23:28Northeast Ohioans – NOW is your chance to help get EfficientGovNow's second round started.
- Akron Beacon Journal Editorial: Efficiency test2009-12-14 11:53:46A recent editorial from the Akron Beacon Journal says EfficientGovNow "grants spur local governments to think creatively about ways to share expenses and provide better services."
- Round Two of EfficientGovNow Approved Today2009-12-08 15:51:08The Fund for Our Economic Future announced that it will host the second round of the EfficientGovNow competition in 2010.
- Steps to a stronger economy? Think efficiency2009-12-07 11:17:58Government collaboration and efficiency can help bring about a stronger economy for Northeast Ohio. Read more in Fund President Brad Whitehead's op-ed in the 12/4 Akron Beacon Journal.
- Survey Shows Further Progress on Local Government Collaboration2009-11-20 13:56:36Local government collaboration is moving forward in Northeast Ohio, according to a report prepared by Kent State University’s Center for Public Administration and Public Policy. The report found that 64% of the local government officials responding to a recent survey are moving forward with the collaborations they proposed to the Fund for Our Economic Future’s EfficientGovNow awards program.
- Mahoning River Corridor Initiative Collaboration Keeps Rollin'2009-11-17 11:32:46The EfficientGovNow award-winning Rollin' on the River: Mahoning River Corridor Redevelopment Project is making progress toward developing an interactive web site that markets locations available for economic development in the river corridor.
- Northeast Ohio Continues to Collaborate2009-10-22 08:53:19Northeast Ohio governments are not waiting for the second round of EfficientGovNow to start in order to collaborate. In addition to Youngstown and Girard working together on a land deal that might bring hundreds of jobs to the Mahoning Valley, WKBN reported recently that Mahoning County is taking steps toward consolidating its 911 emergency services.
- Mahoning Valley Leaders Reflect on Getting Out the EfficientGovNow Vote2009-09-30 12:42:24The vice president of government affairs at the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber shares his insights on how the Mahoning Valley successfully spread the word and inspired voters to cast ballots supporting award-winning EfficientGovNow projects initiated in that part of the region.
- Northeast Ohioans Help Design Potential Round 2 of EfficientGovNow 2009-09-21 15:43:54To gather public input, the Fund sent a brief survey to all Northeast Ohioans who cast EfficientGovNow ballots online, asking how they would design a second round of the program. See what they had to say.
- Voter Feedback to Help Shape Round 22009-09-14 10:39:25As we continue exploring a second round of EfficientGovNow, we want to let the residents of Northeast Ohio weigh in on what they want to see next.
- How Local Governments Deal with Financial Hardship2009-09-04 12:39:57To help generate more ideas and encourage local governments to learn how to more efficiently deal with financial troubles, the Center for Public Administration and Public Policy will be hosting an informal discussion on Thursday September 24 at the Kent State University Moulton Hall Ballroom.
- What’s Next? 2009-09-02 08:43:52What’s next for EfficientGovNow? A lot of you have asked that question since July and the answer is getting a little clearer after members of the Fund for Our Economic Future met yesterday at Oberlin College.
- Westshore Fire District Collaboration Moving Forward2009-08-28 09:54:50 There has been a lot of excitement in the Westshore Council of Governments over the past month. The EfficientGovNow award-winning fire district collaboration project continues to receive positive support from the community.
- EfficientGovNow Generates More Collaborations2009-08-18 09:39:27There’s a new government collaboration under way in Northeast Ohio – thanks to the EfficientGovNow program. Check out the video below to learn how the two Mahoning Valley projects that will receive EfficientGovNow awards say they will work together to promote the region’s economic development.
- Study: Infrastructure management best viewed from regional perspective2009-08-18 09:31:24Kent State University’s Center for Public Administration and Public Policy and its Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative released a study that assesses alternative approaches for managing vital infrastructure in cities that are losing population. The report makes it clear that infrastructure management is best viewed from a regional perspective, and it includes recommendations about potential areas for management improvements.
- EfficientGovNow Award Recipients Named 2009-08-06 09:58:36After 31 days of voting and strong “get-out-the-vote” campaigns by the nine finalists, the residents of Northeast Ohio have made their choice and determined the three EfficientGovNow collaboration projects that will receive grants from the Fund for Our Economic Future.
- Progress on Government Collaboration2009-08-06 09:00:47Last winter when the Fund for Our Economic Future was shaping the EfficientGovNow program, we spent a lot of time discussing that while the government collaboration projects would be important, what we also were hoping to see a change in the culture of government in Northeast Ohio.
- EfficientGovNow to Announce Award Recipients Thursday2009-08-03 08:57:32Throughout July, thousands of Northeast Ohioans cast EfficientGovNow ballots via phone, mail and EfficientGovNow.org to help fuel government collaboration and efficiency throughout the region. Those votes are now being tabulated. Because qualified mail-in ballots are still arriving ,the final vote tally won’t be completed for a few days. And the winners will be announced Thursday morning.
- Surge of Support for Finalists Shakes up the Standings2009-07-30 15:51:57
- What do 11,000+ opinions on efficient gov’t look like? 2009-07-28 13:44:28
- Leader Board Changing2009-07-27 14:35:12The EfficientGovNow leader board is changing as the “get out the vote” campaigns across Northeast Ohio are heating up.
- EfficientGovNow Finalists to be featured on WCPN July 272009-07-24 11:24:45On Monday, July 27, 2009, the nine EfficientGovNow finalists will be featured on radio’s The Sounds of Ideas program on WCPN 90.3 FM from 9 – 10 a.m.
- EfficientGovNow Voting Tightens 2009-07-23 12:16:24With nine days left before voting ends, the EfficientGovNow vote leaders are facing tougher competition, with the Westhore Regional Fire District Project moving into third place in just the last two days.
- EfficientGovNow Voting Heats Up2009-07-20 13:21:05Three weeks into EfficientGovNow voting, front runners are emerging—with the leading four vote-getters running an especially tight race.
- Nation’s Chief Technology Officer Notes EfficientGovNow2009-07-10 17:06:39During his speech at the City Club of Cleveland, Chopra highlighted the EfficientGovNow competition as an example of the innovative ideas needed to stimulate more efficient government and a more globally competitive nation.
- EfficientGovNow Finalists Speak Out via YouTube2009-07-06 14:21:36Meet your favorite EfficientGovNow finalists face-to-face as they explain their exciting ideas for government collaboration in an efficient amount of time.
- EfficientGovNow Names Nine Project Finalists 2009-07-01 08:35:18The Fund for Our Economic Future, a philanthropic collaboration that works to strengthen the economic competitiveness of Northeast Ohio, has named the nine finalists competing for EfficientGovNow awards. The three winners will now be determined via a public vote to be held from July 1 through July 31.
- Area Universities Sponsor Water Infrastructure Forum in Columbus2009-05-21 10:40:58On June 2, 2009, a coalition of Ohio universities is sponsoring a forum in Columbus, Ohio, on Financing Water Infrastructure for policymakers and stakeholders. The forum is designed to assist state policy makers and water stakeholders in improving water infrastructure management in the State of Ohio.
- Kent State University’s Public Policy Center Graduates 12 from its Elected Officials Academy2009-05-19 14:06:38The Academy enables today’s leaders to become informed about the roles of local elected officials and ways in which they provide for the delivery of efficient and effective services for Northeast Ohio residents.
- Qualified project abstracts posted; Public comments wanted2009-05-06 08:34:00All 45 qualified abstracts have been posted to the “proposals” section of the site. We want YOUR comments, which will allow local gov't officials to strengthen their collaborative work and understand what's important to NE Ohio residents.
- Summaries of the 65 Project Abstracts Submitted to EfficientGovNow2009-04-16 14:12:03The Fund for Our Economic Future, a collaborative effort to strengthen regional economic competitiveness in Northeast Ohio, received 65 project abstracts from partnerships of governmental entities looking to compete for EfficientGovNow awards.
- EfficientGovNow Attracts Ideas from across the Region2009-04-15 10:06:42With less than one day left for officials to submit project abstracts, EfficientGovNow is already swimming in great government collaboration and efficiency ideas.
- Southern Suburbs Council of Governments Participating in EfficientGovNow2009-04-13 07:52:19The Southern Suburbs Council of Governments, consisting of Broadview Heights, Brooklyn Heights, Cuyahoga Heights, Independence, Seven Hills, Valley View and Walton Hills, is working hard to win some of the $300,000 in grant money being made available by the Fund for Our Economic Future in the EfficientGovNow program.
- Examples of Collaboration Abound in the Region – Here’s a Handful 2009-04-13 07:43:22
- Lake County Fire Departments Ready to Share2009-04-09 10:58:08
- Wadsworth and Geauga Lead the Way2009-04-01 16:00:27
- Top Ten Ways Northeast Ohioans Can Support EfficientGovNow2009-03-31 15:11:04
- EfficientGovNow Builds Momentum2009-03-18 13:26:42
- Citizens of Northeast Ohio Can Play an Active Role in the Region’s Economic Future2009-03-05 15:42:33
- Welcome to EfficientGovNow2009-03-02 07:47:29Welcome to EfficientGovNow, a new initiative of the Fund for Our Economic Future designed to encourage greater government collaboration among our region's local governments.
- EfficientGovNow Program Unveiled by Fund for Our Economic Future2009-03-02 01:00:35The Fund for Our Economic Future, a collaborative effort to strengthen regional economic competitiveness in Northeast Ohio, has announced a new competitive awards program, EfficientGovNow.