SYRACUSE 20/20 Issues Report Calling for a Local Government Modernization Commission
Our County Executive, our City Mayor, and some of our town and village officials have risked their political careers to press for modernization, setting a courageous example that their colleagues in local government may now be willing to follow. The fiscal challenges facing municipalities only make the case for change more urgent. We can turn this threatening scenario into an opportunity to define for ourselves how we want to be organized and governed locally, so that government services continue to meet high standards of quality at a price we can pay with less outside help. If there is a way to re-invent local government so that local resources can be focused equitably and effectively to help our economy and protect our community assets, then let’s try to find it.
SYRACUSE 20/20, CenterState CEO, FOCUS Greater Syracuse, the League of Women Voters of Syracuse Metropolitan Area, Onondaga Citizens League and the Homebuilders & Remodelers Association of CNY call for the creation of a local Government Modernization Commission to help shape a vision for more efficient local government in Onondaga County. 20/20 and its partner organizations released a report making the case for the creation of a Commission. You can read the report here: A Call to Action on Modernizing Local Government
SYRACUSE 20/20 Submits Testimony to the New York State Education Reform Commission
On August 15th, SYRACUSE 20/20 provided testimony to the New York State Education Reform Commission. The Commission created by Governor Andrew Cuomo is focused on finding ways to improve student achievement and teacher performance and to examine education funding. The Commission will report back to the Governor by December 2012. SYRACUSE 20/20 testified on the importance of State support for high-quality, research-based professional development for low performing school districts. In addition, 20/20 urged the State to become more innovative with regard to helping high-need districts attract and retain highly effective educators. You can read the full testimony here: Education Reform Testimony
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Government Modernization
Community Conversation
We Are at a Tipping Point
Help Decide Which Way We Go
Syracuse 20/20 has spent the past several years examining the issues surrounding government modernization. We feel strongly that the time has come for our community to engage in a thoughtful conversation about the future of the governance of our region.
Our mission is simply to start a community-wide conversation about whether our current way of organizing local government, a system that was invented around 1800, is still working for us in a global economy. Our approach is positive and non-partisan.
Join the Conversation
The way we see it, we’re at a “tipping point”. This is a critical time for us to talk about the role of local government in “tipping us” toward growth rather than potential decline.
What can you do? Begin by learning about the Government Modernization Effort by watching the power point presentation and sharing your thoughts on our online discussion forum.