Local Governments and Technology Companies Offer Advice to Obama Administration

The CIOs of 28 of America's largest cities and counties - home to more than 40 million citizens - have joined with information and communication technology industry representatives in a program called Digital Communities, created by the Center for Digital Government and Government Technology magazine. Together they are working to help communities ensure a healthy and prosperous future by becoming smarter and more sustainable.

While long associated with environmental issues, Digital Communities members believe sustainability is a more expansive idea that reaches across a community's and region's endeavors. Sustainability means meeting today's needs and provisioning for the future. It is a powerful framework for thinking and acting on a range of challenges facing towns, cities and counties, and it is one that will depend heavily on the appropriate implementation and application of information technology.

In September 2008, the National League of Cities, along with the National Governors Association, the National Conference of State Legislatures, the Council of State Governments, the National Association of Counties and the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) joined to highlight the important roles state and local government leaders play in solving national issues and called on the next president to engage these leaders when determining national policy. Digital Communities members do not seek to duplicate the good work of the major associations, but to add their support and perspective as information technology professionals in local government to the work already done. They want to make clear their support for key provisions of the Obama and Biden Science, Technology and Innovation for a New Generation platform.

Digital Communities members have identified the following issues as critical to their ability to support and improve the local governance process and, therefore, suggest them as priority issues for the Obama administration.

• The definition of "infrastructure" as it is currently considered in Congress should be expanded to include information and communications technology (ICT): voice, video, data, hardware and software and other services supported by broadband infrastructure (wire line and wireless). ICT has become integral to efficient, equitable, affordable and available health care, social services, public safety, education, job training, transportation and other lifeline services and should, therefore, be considered a key component of any economic stimulus bill. Investment in ready-to-go infrastructure projects - including funds for airports, housing, schools, highways, bridges, transit, clean water, sewer, energy, public safety and broadband infrastructure (wire line and wireless) - creates jobs and stimulates the economy while allowing government agencies to become more effective, efficient and transparent.
• A national broadband infrastructure plan should be developed and implemented consistent with President Obama's promise to "get true broadband to every community in America" and the provisions of the Conference of Mayors' Resolution #104. Digital Communities members support the USCM's call for development of a comprehensive national broadband policy that includes high-speed broadband deployment to cities and urban counties and that preserves the ability of local governments to provide broadband capability and services within their communities. Further, the administration, Congress and the FCC should work with local governments to expand and focus resources to speed the development of competitive, affordable services to American communities.
• The federal-state-local partnership is vital to ensuring the welfare and well-being of our citizens and our nation. An important element of that partnership is represented through the federal grant process. Digital Communities members support the NLC's request that the incoming administration and Congress work together with local government to encourage and create incentives for regional and interlocal cooperation and solutions. Federal grant programs, regulatory and reporting requirements, funding formulas and other practices should change to promote cooperation at the local and regional levels. The goal should be to simplify and speed up the process to enable localities to better leverage limited funds and more effectively carry out vital programs and services, while supporting their regional economies. The grant process must be managed with