City Of Chester News Update: Strong Cities, Strong Communities

Chester Selected as One of Six Cities in White House Program 

President Obama's Launches Strong Cities, Strong Communities  

  

Chester, PA - On July 11, 2011, the Obama Administration launched Strong Cities, Strong Communities (SC2), naming the City of Chester as one of the six pilot cities in the entire United States to take part in a varied number of capacity-building tools aimed at sparking economic growth through partnerships with government agencies. Other cities include Cleveland, OH; Detroit, MI; Fresno, CA; Memphis, TN; and New Orleans, LA. 

Pictured from left: David Campbell, U.S. EPA; Bernard K. Melekian, U.S. DOJ; Beth Osborne, SC2 Team Leader, U.S .DOT; Tricia Kerney-Willis U.S. DOT; Mayor Wendell N. Butler, Jr.; Marie Johns, Deputy Administrator, U.S. SBA; Jane Vincent, U.S. HUD

Each selected city will be provided with experienced staff to work directly to leverage federal dollars and support the work being done at the local level to encourage economic growth community development.

"As Mayor, I am extremely pleased that Chester was selected as one of only six cities in the nation to be a part of the Strong Cities, Strong Communities initiative," said Mayor Wendell N. Butler, Jr. "This is truly a great honor for the City of Chester to be singled out by the Obama Administration as a community with strong local leadership and a potential for collaboration to further promote economic growth."

SC2 pilot cities were selected on the basis of economic need, strong local leadership and collaboration, potential for economic growth, geographic diversity, and the ability to test the SC2 model across a range of environments. Federal assessment teams spent time on the ground working directly with Mayor Butler and other local officials to determine needs, opportunities and gather input for the pilot initiative.

SC2 focuses on making it easier for local governments to navigate the maze of federal agencies when seeking funding, providing assistance to help ensure that federal funds are used more effectively and developing new partnerships to accelerate economic revitalization.  

Through this pilot, the Obama Administration will focus on three key goals:

• Improving the way federal government does business: Cutting through red tape and rationalizing the federal bureaucracy to help deal with the overlapping maze of agencies, regulations and program requirements that are sometimes confusing to local governments;

• Providing assistance and support - working with local communities to find ground up, not top down solutions: Providing on the ground technical assistance and planning resources tailored to local governments' needs and helping them use the federal funds they already receive more efficiently and effectively; and

• Partnering for growth: Developing critical partnerships with key local and regional stakeholders that encompass not only municipal and state governments, but also new partnerships with the business community, non-profits, anchor institutions, faith-based institutions, and other public, private, and philanthropic leaders.

For more information regarding the Strong Cities, Strong Communities (SC2) initiative, visit the Office of the Press Secretary on the White House website at

www.whitehouse.gov