The goals, simply put, are to increase government productivity and efficiency of government, provide access to information, increase citizens' knowledge and agency cooperation, extend democracy and create readiness.
Technology is out there for the taking. The trick is using it, and Elliott Masie of Saratoga Springs is a master of that. He graciously agreed to give more than a dozen local leaders a sample of what they can be doing to better serve their communities through e-government.
Rather than reinvent the wheel, Masie has put Klotz in touch with other communities that are ahead of the curve on e-technology.
The possibilities are limited only by imagination and, perhaps, budget constraints -- although it is cheaper, for instance, to e-mail forms rather than paying postage. And record-keeping on computers is infinitely more flexible and accessible than on paper.
The city's Web site is a good step in the direction of using technology to link constituents to their government. The accounts department, for instance, wants to figure out how to make the various licenses people apply for available online.
Masie acknowledges that not everyone has a computer and worries that the personal touch could get lost in a digital world. With those caveats in place, we eagerly look forward to exciting e-progress in our city, towns and county.
Quelle: Saratogian
