Local Government Institute of Wisconsin

10/25/2017

Counties seeking ways to collaborate to better serve their residents...

Washington and Ozaukee County officials talk about intergovernmental cooperation, merging their health deparments and how it has created efficiencies and saved money.

10/09/2017

LGI is excited to announce the selection of our first Future Regions - the Chippewa Valley and Racine County.

Eau Claire County and the Cities of Altoona and Eau Claire will take-on the issue of their region’s growing creative economy. “The area has become known for its’ vibrant music and arts scene,” said Eau Claire County Administrator Kathryn Schauf.” We as local governments would like to cooperatively work to nurture and support these efforts to provide continued community growth.”

Racine County and multiple units of local governments within the county will look at the long-term future of economic development. “With the announcement that Foxconn has chosen Racine County as its location of choice for its 20 million square feet advanced manufacturing campus, Racine County is poised for considerable growth,” said Jenny Trick, Executive Director of the Racine County Economic Development Corporation. The Future Regions strategic foresight process will be used to envision the future of Racine County with one of the largest manufacturing complexes in the world.

Go to www.localgovinstitute.org/future_regions for more information.

Future Regions program landing page.

04/17/2017

www.localgovinstitute.org/future_regions

02/08/2017

TOMORROW, 2/9: Next Generation Consulting's Rebecca Ryan and LGI's Executive Director Gary Becker will be presenting at the Governor's Conference on Economic Development in Milwaukee.

Rebecca will be giving the keynote address following the Governor, and she will be discussing the future of local government and how Wisconsin local governments can transform themselves and build the capacity they need to better engage in economic development.

Gary Becker will be leading a discussion on community engagement and Creating Strong Local Government Partners. You won't want to miss it!

Local government plays a critical role in modern economic development . Yet local government is struggling with building the capacity it needs to engage appropriately in the wide range of issues it should be addressing. The Local Government Institute of Wisconsin, in partnership with Next Generation...

02/07/2017

Today we are presenting about the future of local government at the Wisconsin Counties Association's Legislative Exchange. "Each February, WCA holds its annual Legislative Exchange in Madison. The two-day meeting provides a briefing on legislative proposals affecting counties and reports by WCA legislative staff and state officials."

If you want to learn more about what will affect the future of local government in Wisconsin, check out our publication on STEEP trends:

02/01/2017

"The Sauk County Economic Development Committee launched an initiative to learn more about the desires of adults, ages 25-35, and how to attract and retain them to live and work in the county. The initiative, called Next Generation Sauk County, is the county’s first placemaking area of focus." Read the full report to learn more!

From: http://sauk.uwex.edu/2016/05/31/sauk-county-next-generation-survey-report/

01/30/2017

Have you ever thought about how you could use your public library to advance the goals of your community? In this article by ICMA - International City/County Management Association, they discuss a study that was done to figure out how local government agencies can collaborate with library leaders to better engage, inform, and empower residents.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Public libraries can play an important role in advancing such...

01/27/2017

Now available online: this publication from the University of WI - Stevens Point is geared towards local government officials and others interested in investigating the connection between housing and land use.

Using a series of maps, graphics and text, they explore statewide trends in housing including homeownership, seasonal housing, housing values, affordability, foreclosures, and other special topics. They also look at state and local housing policies, emerging design trends, and the impact of generational changes.

This publication is geared towards local government officials and others interested in investigating the connections between housing and land use. Using a series of maps, graphics and text, we explore statewide trends in housing including homeownership, seasonal housing, housing values, affordabilit...

01/24/2017

What is community innovation and how to we make it happen successfully? Innovation is defined here as "a breakthrough in addressing a community need that is more effective, equitable, or sustainable than existing approaches."

The question that this article aims to address is, what does innovation look like when it takes place in a community, among neighbors, schools, organizations, local and regional governments, and businesses? Read more to learn about the three main characteristics of making community innovation happen.

​The word “innovation” is everywhere. Recently, the term’s omnipresence has extended to the nonprofit and public sectors. The question is: What does innovation look like when it takes place in a community, among neighbors, schools, organizations, local and regional governments, and businesses?

01/20/2017

From Engaging Local Government Leaders: A good example of how to use open data to engage community members.

"Openness about data can serve as a bridge to discussing practice, building trust, and improving services with communities." Using open data to engage the public around community issues is one way to transform current practice that all local governments should consider.

One city, the City of Indianapolis, provides a great example for others to follow of how to use data to be transparent, engage the public, and take action to make communities better.

In this series, ELGL members share initiatives, policies, and programs that are transforming local government. Sign up here to share your idea. Previous articles include addressing homelessness in…

01/19/2017

The Wisconsin Counties Association held their 2016 Annual Conference this past September. In case you missed it, you can watch their daily wrap up videos here: (there's also a link to a podcast of the conference!)

The WCA Annual Conference was held September 25-27 in Milwaukee County at the Wisconsin Center and Hilton Milwaukee City Center. Over 1,000 county officials attended the three-day event. WCA, along with

01/17/2017

What can we do to make and keep our community healthy, strong, and vibrant? This 4-session guide for public dialogue and problem solving was developed as a collaboration between The Coalition for Healthier Cities and Communities and Everyday Democracy. The term “healthy community” can mean many things: jobs, schools, clean water and air, basic health services, recreation, etc.

Subtitled "What can we do to make and keep our community healthy, strong, and vibrant", this 4-session guide was developed as a collaboration between The Coalition for Healthier Cities and Communities and Everyday Democracy. The term “healthy community” can mean many things to many people: jobs, sch...