Governor Announces "Centers for Excellence" to Streamline Government Resources and Save Taxpayers Money

March 3, 2006

Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today announced seven community partnerships have been selected to receive a "Center for Excellence" pilot designation and grants up to $25,000 over two years to fund their projects.  The designation is awarded through the Centers for Regional Excellence (CRE) program, which was created by Granholm to encourage resource sharing and savings among local governments.  The state received 35 applications with various proposals outlining such programs as combining public safety dispatch, transportation authorities, and payroll systems to better serve Michigan citizens.

"We heard from city, village, township, county, and school district leaders who are willing to work together in creative ways to use taxpayer dollars more effectively and efficiently at every level," Granholm said.  "By collaborating, communities can save citizens money and make their resources go further.  This program facilitates the sharing of services, agencies, equipment, and employees to streamline government and save tax dollars."

The grants are funded through existing community development dollars at the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA), an agency housed in the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth (DLEG), and the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT).  As CRE pilots, selected communities will also receive access to information from other communities that have already saved dollars through collaborative programs and from university-level facilitators and researchers to assist in developing service-sharing programs.

The grant applications were reviewed by a committee of representatives from the DLEG, MSHDA, and several Michigan universities.  Proposals had to include information regarding how pilot funds will be supported by local, in-kind matching investments and a description of how progress will be measured.  Priority was given to projects with a greater variety and number of governmental organizations involved in collaboration, likelihood of success, and support of community stakeholders.

The seven Centers for Regional Excellence designees are:

1. Alpena City and County:  Will focus on regional communications through an expansion and upgrade of a shared fiber optic communication system, especially critical in more rural areas, and to enhance a growing service industry.
2. Downriver Community Conference (Cities of Allen Park, Lincoln Park, Trenton, Wyandotte):  Creates a Public Services Mutual Aid Authority that will identify the best resources of each city to share services in such areas as public safety, water/sewer, parks, maintenance, etc.
3. Iron Mountain, Kingsford, Norway and Breitung Township:  Will focus on regional public safety and shared education information and facilities among departments, combining service coverage and joint code enforcement.
4. Motown's Downtowns (Detroit, Hamtramck, Ferndale, Royal Oak):  Will focus on cooperative transit systems, emphasizing the value of historic downtowns to the revival of our older communities.  Will work to reroute public transit through these downtowns and establish Motown's Downtowns weekends throughout the year so citizens can learn about and enjoy the assets of their neighbors' commercial and cultural centers.
5. Tri-county Regional Planning Commission (Ingham, Eaton, Clinton and many of their cities and townships):  Will create urban service districts and boundaries to limit services to contiguous urban growth districts.  This will be accomplished through multi-jurisdictional service and joint coverage agreements
6. Van Buren County:  Will focus on regional coordination of rural and small urban transit services.  Will work with public agencies to ensure that transit routes are available to those most in need and enhance public transportation systems.  This program views transportation resources and social service providers as a single support structure.
7. West Michigan Strategic Alliance (Allegan, Barry, Ionia, Kent, Muskegon, Newaygo, and Ottawa Counties): Will establish a set of regional indicators to help local governments determine where collaboration works best for the benefit of the entire region. 

For more information, visit http://www.michigan.gov/cre.