Columbus Selected to Participate in New Program to Tackle Budget Crises and Advance Equity with Support from Bloomberg Philanthropies
Bloomberg Philanthropies today announced that Columbus is one of 30 cities that will
participate in the What Works Cities City
Budgeting for Equity and Recovery program, a new effort that will help
cities confront budget crises while strengthening their commitment to equity in
the wake of COVID-19. The program will help cities develop and implement plans
to drive financial recovery and ensure that their budget crises do not
disproportionately harm low-income residents and communities of color. It will
also provide the opportunity for leaders from the 30 cities to problem solve
with a network of peers and produce a set of tactics for other local leaders to
follow
Launched by Bloomberg Philanthropies in 2015, What Works
Cities is one of the largest-ever philanthropic efforts to enhance
cities’ use of data and evidence to solve big problems. What Works Cities gives
local leaders the tools to replicate successful programs and engage the public,
fund and improve services, and evaluate progress. Through the City Budgeting
for Equity and Recovery program, What Works Cities will support mayors, chief
financial officers, and budget directors to use data-driven best practices as
they continue to manage their pandemic responses.
“Cities across the country are facing an unprecedented fiscal
crisis. Revenues are down, demand for services is up, there is uncertainty
about what support cities will receive from the federal government, and there
are urgent needs around racial equity,” said Michael R. Bloomberg,
founder of Bloomberg LP and Bloomberg Philanthropies, and 108th
Mayor of New York City. “Through this new initiative, we will offer municipal
leaders tools to help them navigate the crisis, setting a path more cities can
follow as they develop their own recovery plans.”
Nearly 90 percent of U.S. cities expect revenue shortfalls in the
wake of COVID-19. As a result, more than half of U.S. cities expect to cut
public safety spending and more than a quarter plan to lay off workers,
according to a survey
conducted by the National League of Cities and the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
Cities are projected to lose $360
billion in revenue over the next three years while mayors still need
to deliver vital services to residents. Eighty three percent of the 30 cities
participating in the cohort have already experienced budget cuts. The new What
Works Cities program will help city leaders navigate these high stakes
decisions with the latest data, trusted expertise, and peer input. The program
also aims to set the standard for how local governments respond to budget
crises and advance equity.
“The pandemic and its effects will be with us for years to come.
We must assure that our recovery embraces equity so that no residents are left
behind,” said Mayor Andrew J. Ginther. “We are honored to be selected by
Bloomberg Philanthropies City Budgeting for Equity and Recovery that will help
us navigate the current economic crisis and build a strong future for our
residents.”
“The current economic
crisis manifesting under COVID-19 is unprecedented and presents a host of
unique challenges,” said Boston College Professor Lourdes German,
Director of The Civic Innovation Project and partner on the program. “Cities
have to keep running with no sense of when public health and consumption patterns
will return to normal levels — and this is occurring in an environment where
federal stimulus aid has been unpredictable.”
The program will cover challenges most pressing to budget leaders
including:
- Understanding, accessing and spending COVID
relief funds;
- Financing that enables strong budget health;
- Increasing revenues in a way that doesn’t
disproportionately impact low-income families; and
- Incorporating an equity analysis into major
budget decisions, including cuts.
Program participants, which will include mayors and city financial
leaders, will receive guidance from finance experts in the public, private, and
academic sectors such as Professor Lourdes German from Boston College and Marc
Shaw, Chair of the CUNY Institute of State and Local Governance; engage with
their peers in interactive workshops; and receive customized support and
technical assistance, valued at over $100,000 per city. What Works Cities will
share the learnings and resources developed during the program publicly to
ensure that cities everywhere are able to apply them to their local budgeting
process.
The 30 cities that have been selected to participate in the
program, which will run through December 2021, are: Akron (OH), Austin (TX),
Birmingham (AL), Chattanooga (TN), Chula Vista (CA), Columbia (SC), Columbus
(OH), Denver (CO), Durham (NC), Fort Collins (CO), Knoxville (TN), Lincoln
(NE), Madison (WI), New Orleans (LA), Oakland (CA), Peoria (IL), Philadelphia
(PA), Providence (RI), Pueblo (CO), Rochester (NY), Salt Lake City (UT),
Savannah (GA), Seattle (WA), Springfield (IL), Stockton (CA), Syracuse (NY),
Tacoma (WA), Tampa (FL), Toledo (OH), West Palm Beach (FL).
“This program is the latest in Bloomberg Philanthropies’ continued
effort to help cities use data, creativity, and collaboration to tackle their
biggest challenges,” said Simone Brody, Executive Director of What Works
Cities. “With COVID-19
exposing the stark inequities that exist in our communities and the outsized
impact that government decisions have on low-income communities and communities
of color, city leaders must address these budget crises through an equity lens.
Data
best practices, innovation tools, and intercity collaboration will play a
critical role in how cities build back stronger and more inclusively.”
Bloomberg Philanthropies works with cities around the world to
dramatically improve the capacity of local government to improve people’s lives
and drive progress on most urgent problems. To accomplish this, Bloomberg Philanthropies
invests in local leadership development; helps cities test urban innovations
and build evidence around approaches that work; connects cities to share
lessons and impactful strategies; and boosts local governments’ ability to
generate big ideas.
About Bloomberg Philanthropies
Bloomberg Philanthropies invests in more than 570 cities and over
160 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest
number of people. The organization focuses on five key areas for creating
lasting change: the Arts, Education, Environment, Government Innovation and
Public Health. Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R.
Bloomberg’s giving, including his foundation and personal philanthropy as well
as Bloomberg Associates, a pro bono consultancy that works in cities around the
world. In 2019, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed $3.3 billion. For more
information, please visit bloomberg.org
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About What Works Cities
What Work Cities, launched by Bloomberg Philanthropies
in April 2015, is a national initiative that helps cities use data and evidence
more effectively to tackle their most pressing challenges and improve
residents’ lives. It is one of the largest-ever philanthropic efforts to
enhance cities’ use of data and evidence. Through the initiative’s expert partners,
cities around the country are receiving technical assistance, guidance and
resources to succeed in making more informed decisions, tackling local
challenges, and delivering more effective services and programs for their
residents. Cities in the What Works Cities network also gain access to a
collaborative network of peers in cities across the country. For more
information, visit
whatworkscities.org or follow us on Twitter.