In 2001, Marathon County Wisconsin embarked on an ambitious plan to develop a county wide comprehensive plan, as well as comprehensive plans for municpalities within the County. At that time, the County had been out of the planning business for a decade. There were fractious, if not rancorous relationships among the municipalities. Competition for economic development opportunities was cutthroat. There was a distinct urban rural split. Through the cooperative planning process, many bridges were built and fences were mended. While certainly not entirely a function of working on a comprehensive plan, the relationships among communities and the county improved greatly, leading to such things as an urban stormwater coalition,

Greetings!  We hope you are having a pleasant summer.  At the LGI, we have been busy following up on our report  A Roadmap for Government Transformation. 

Now we need your help to find even more examples!

The Local Government Institute of Wisconsin is creating a resource directory to identify specific examples of local governments working together to reduce costs, improve services, or to better address regional issues.  We need your help to compile examples from across the state and to identify individuals who are willing to talk about how they did it to folks who are trying to figure it out.

A recent article in the Kansas City Federal Reserve newsletter "Main Street Economist" describes how local governments in rural areas can cope with fiscal stress through strategies that include consolidation of service delivery, cooperation and collaboration.
 
Download the full article here.
 
An excerpt:
"Local governments have a number of options for increasing efficiencies, and most fall into one of four categories - consolidation, intermunicipality cooperation, internal reorganization and privatization.  If local governments can find ways to increase efficiency, they can cope with current fiscal challenges more easily and improve their long-term fiscal health."
 
Follow this link to view the article on the Kansas City Fed website:

Download the "lessons learned" report - 2009 Energy Independent Communities Grant Program Overview (595 k), no appendices
 
Download the appendices to the 2009 "Lessons Learned" report (2.6 mb) - 127 pages
 
Download the Governor's Independence Day Press Release announcing release of LGI's "Lessons Learned" report (83 kb)
 

The Local Government Institute of Wisconsin and the Johnson Foundation hosted a forum for Racine area business and local government leaders on Thursday May 27, 2010.  The 36 people in attendance heard a presentation of the "Roadmap for Government Transformation" by Christine Smith and Dave Varana of Baker Tilly followed by comments and discussion from a panel of local government leaders experienced in intergovernmental cooperation.  Audience members were given an opportunity to pose questions to the researchers and panelists.  Concluding remarks were made by LGI Executive Director Gary W. Becker and Johnson Bank President Russ Weyers.
 

Hard Times Spur Ideas for Change

By MONICA DAVEY

A public policy forum "Beyond Milwaukee County: Challenges Facing Wisconsin’s Other Counties" was held at the Italian Conference Center in Milwaukee on May 17, 2010. Moderated by Charles Law Director, UW-Extension Local Government Center.  The presentation is available for watching or listening from Wisconsin Eye.  Follow this link  to the Forums page of Wisconsin Eye.  Forums are organized by date – scroll down to May 17, 2010 to find this discussion.
 
 
Panelists for this forum included:
 
 David Bretl, Walworth County Administrator
 

Since the LGI announced the release of "A Roadmap for Government Transformation" at a press conference in the Capitol on March 16, 2010, people are taking notice.  Articles that have appeared in the media are attached below.  An hour-long call-in talk show hosted by Ben Merens on Wisconson Public Radio featuring an interview on the report with our own Bill Mielke can be accessed by clicking here.