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NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 20, 2000 Mayor Unveils Finalized City-Wide Strategic Plan And Accountability "Scorecards"(Washington, D.C.) Mayor Anthony A. Williams today released a finalized version of the City-Wide Strategic Plan, based on extensive input from thousands of citizens garnered at two citywide citizen forums. The Mayor also unveiled new "scorecards" which will give residents a unique opportunity to hold the Mayor and his cabinet accountable for achieving citizen goals from the City-Wide Strategic Plan. Each scorecard has specific, measurable goals with deadlines for completion. They will be on display throughout the city and on the District's website, www.washingtondc.gov. The City-Wide Strategic Plan The City-Wide Strategic Plan will guide the activities of the District government for the next two years. It is Mayor Williams' action plan to achieve citizen priorities in five areas: Building and Sustaining Healthy Neighborhoods; Healthy Families, Children, Youth, and Individuals; Economic Development; Making Government Work; and Unity of Purpose and Democracy. "This will be the guide for good government in the District," said Mayor Williams. "It's not a lot of platitudes-these are concrete goals and deadlines for rebuilding our government and responding to citizen's priorities." The first draft of the City-Wide Strategic Plan was distributed at the Mayor's Citizen Summit on November 20, 1999. More than 3,000 residents provided valuable feedback on the plan. The Mayor, his staff and a team of volunteers analyzed these comments and incorporated them into the plan. A revised version was distributed at the Neighborhood Action Forum on January 29, 2000, attended by more than 1,500 residents. Again, residents' comments were incorporated into the plan. The finalized City-Wide Strategic Plan unveiled today represents months of work by and input from citizens. The Mayor's Budget Will Help Implement the City-Wide Strategic Plan The City-Wide Strategic Plan sets out ambitious goals and initiatives beginning this year. Many of these initiatives are already underway and are proposed for continuation over the next fiscal year. Other goals and priorities set by citizens stretch into fiscal year 2001 and beyond, however. The Mayor's FY 2001 budget proposal makes strategic investments that will give the District the capacity to implement the plan and deliver services residents want. The Scorecards (View Scorecards) At the Citizen Summit, residents said overwhelmingly that while they supported Neighborhood Action, they wanted to be sure that their comments were being acted upon. In response, the Mayor has developed a "scorecard" for himself and for his cabinet members. With specific commitments and specific deadlines, the scorecard will enable residents to track the progress of the administration in achieving citizen priorities. "If every citizen can see the score every day, then this government will become more accountable to the public," said Mayor Williams. "It's a management tool to maintain a sense of urgency in this government." Cabinet members will have printed scorecards, much like baseball cards. For example, Director of Health Dr. Ivan Walks' scorecard sets a goal of a creating 1,000 new drug treatment slots by December 2000. Police Chief Charles Ramsey's scorecard sets a goal of putting 200 additional officers on the street by September 2000. Expanded drug treatment and improved police presence were two strong themes from the Citizen Summit. The city's four Deputy Mayors and the Chief of Staff also have scorecards that highlight key priorities in their cluster of agencies. For example, Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Eric Price's scorecard calls for breaking ground on two supermarkets East of the Anacostia River, a major priority of residents from Neighborhood Action. The Mayor's scorecard sets out his priorities in the areas of Children, Youth and Families; Healthy Neighborhoods; Economic Development; Making Government Work; and Enhancing Unity of Purpose and Democracy. Neighborhood Action Wins National Award Mayor Williams also announced that Neighborhood Action has been named Project of the Year by the International Association of Public Participation, a non-profit corporation dedicated to promoting and improving the practice of public participation in relation to individuals, governments, and other institutions that effect the public interest. The award was given to Neighborhood Action for effectively linking citizen voices to the strategic plan and to the budget as well as for successfully integrating technology to conduct large scale "town hall" meetings. The Mayor will give a keynote address at the group's annual conference on May 1, 2000 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel. Administration officials will demonstrate the technology used in Neighborhood Action during the conference. "This award validates our efforts for the last six months to empower citizens to set priorities for our city. It shows we are bringing new meaning to self-government-sending an unmistakable message that democracy can work here in our Nation's Capital." |
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