CivSource

Wisconsin gets $46.5m grant toward high speed rail

Wisconsin will be able to continue work on its high-speed rail program thanks to a $46.5 million boost in stimulus grants from the Department of Transportation. Under the terms of the grant, Wisconsin’s Department of Transportation will complete preliminary engineering, design work, program and environmental management. The high speed rail line will extend from Milwaukee [...]

State CIOs advocate for business model and legislative changes in new survey

Due to the lingering economic strain on state budgets, increased pressure has been added to the role of state chief information officers. Governors and legislatures have demanded that IT be used to streamline and save like never before, but according to a new survey of state CIOs, legislative changes are needed to enable CIOs to [...]

Annual transparency report details early days of recession’s impact on Colorado economy

Colorado State Treasurer Cary Kennedy released the fourth annual State Taxpayer Accountability Report (STAR), which provides information on the state’s revenues and expenditures during the previous fiscal year. In the FY 2008 – 2009 STAR report, data spanning the first months of the Great Recession is analyzed, allowing government officials and citizens to understand how [...]

Memphis looks to continue outsourcing contract for city IT services

According to a request for proposal (RFP) issued earlier this month, the City of Memphis, Tennessee is looking to extend an outsourcing contract for its IT infrastructure and Application Maintenance and Support (AM&S) services. The deal could be worth more than $35 million over five years, with two one-year options. The five-year base contract could [...]

State budgets on the mend, report says, but uncertainty clouds revenue projections

A report released today by the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) says the days of rapid revenue declines is nearing an end for most states, a little under two years since the fall of Lehman Brothers and the beginning of the Great Recession. NCSL joins a host of state and local government fiscal observers [...]

Rhode Island, Mass partner on wind energy in Rhode Isand Sound

Rhode Island and Massachusetts have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which says that the states will work together to coordinate the development of offshore wind projects in Rhode Island Sound. The development of this wind project will take place in federal waters in a 400 square mile area which starts 12 miles southwest of [...]

Midwest Governors announce regional investment summit

The Midwest Governors Association (MGA) has announced that it will hold an investment summit in Coloumbus, Ohio, that will focus on how to increase investment in the Midwest. Creating investment through a new energy economy will the central focus for the event. The summit is set to take place September 21-22, 2010. Ohio Governor Ted [...]

How States Can Respond to their Continuing Economic Challenges

For many state governments, the slight gains in economic recovery seen at the national level will not be shared down the municipal line for months to come, argues Deloitte’s Robert Campbell. But in his latest commentary from The Gallery, Mr. Campbell says that continued stress on budgets in 2011 may compel lagging states to enact [...]

Google makes 20-year energy agreement with NextEra Energy, Iowa Power Fund

Google has made a 20-year energy services agreement with NextEra Energy Resources an Iowa based wind farm that is part of the Iowa Power Fund. The agreement will provide energy to power Google’s data centers. Iowa Governor Chet Culver launched the Iowa Power Fund to promote Iowa’s renewable energy resources and agreements like this. Governor [...]

Colorado challenges local industry to save energy

Colorado launched the “Colorado Industrial Energy Challenge,” yesterday. Companies that enter the challenge have made a voluntary commitment to reduce energy in their manufacturing facilities and are utilizing the challenge program to achieve that goal. 13 companies from a variety of industries represent the inaugural entrants. The Challenge is open to businesses that have industrial [...]