City-County Cooperation Award Winner for 2011
El Paso County and the City of El Paso
El Paso County and the City of El Paso have been named winners of the 2011 Texas Municipal League and Texas Association of Counties City-County Cooperation Award. The city and county are being honored for their successful collaboration on an information technology program that has saved local taxpayers more than one million dollars since its inception, thanks to software standardizations and other efficiencies.
The joint IT program grew out of a November 2008 summit between the county, the city, and other local entities to discuss areas for collaboration and consolidation. After the summit, the City of El Paso engaged in a study to develop a strategic plan for its IT department, including a review of the county's system. The study found that the county's IT department was an excellent model and that there were many similarities regarding software applications and technical support, particularly in the important area of public safety.
The result was a milestone agreement between the city and the county to consolidate their IT departments. Today, the county leads the oversight of the city's IT department, including monthly meetings of county and city personnel to review priorities and maintain fiscal controls.
