Regional Government Requires Strong Urban Core

"Regional government can't be viewed a success unless the urban core improves...The goal of regional government is to bring jobs, stability and growth to the city, Stephen Goldsmith said in a speech last night at Cleveland State University...While he was mayor, Indianapolis centralized police dispatch, sewer management and 9-1-1 operations, saving tens of millions of dollars...It was three decades ago -- 20 years before Goldsmith became mayor -- Indianapolis combined city and county council into one body...Regionalism, however, was no panacea in Indianapolis...The former mayor has been credited for taking a populist approach toward urban renewal as mayor and injecting significantly more public money into the city by cutting bureaucracy...Goldsmith built up community development groups in seven targeted areas, providing money for them to hire more staff and pay for programs."

Thanks to David Gest