I embrace technology in order to deliver the best services to Oakland County residents and businesses more efficiently and cost effectively. The Centers for Digital Government and National Association of Counties rank Oakland County among the most digitally advanced counties in the nation.
In 2010, the National Association of County and City Health Officials, recognized my Health Division’s collaboration with the Department of Information Technology to create an eHealth portal where schools, hospitals, and other stakeholders can communicate information immediately with the health department about communicable diseases. This award is one of excellence which highlights best practices that should be adopted around the country.
Another eHealth software the collaboration developed was for health sanitarians who can file restaurant, well and septic system reports electronically in real time from the field. It allows sanitarians to conduct more inspections per day and saves on fuel because they do not have to return to the office until the end of the day.
During 2010, I started to read a lot about cloud computing. I directed my IT Department to research it and report back to me. Based on this information, I am positioning Oakland County’s award winning software out in cyberspace so other units of government throughout Michigan may use it to enhance their services to residents and to save money. Anyone who uses the software does not have to invest in a mainframe or licensing of software; each pays a nominal per-use fee to the county. Therefore, not only will it benefit local governments who are dealing with budget stresses, it will be a revenue enhancer for the county.
The county will continue to add other software it has developed and is developing to share with others in Michigan, and for that matter, the nation.
I also have instilled a strong belief in transparency from the top down in Oakland County government. Plus, I encourage involvement by local residents. In that spirit, in 2010, I asked IT to develop a way to engage residents online so that county government can be more responsive to their needs and concerns.
Oakland County launched an online public forum this past February to engage residents in local government decision making. The county will pose questions about local government priorities, program development, and other topics for public consideration on the county’s web site. Residents will be able to respond to questions, make suggestions, post comments, and rank proposals by voting for the ideas they like best. This public input will then be used to shape the future development of Oakland County government programs and services. The county’s public suggestion and discussion forum uses a technique called crowd sourcing. View it online at http://oakgov.ideascale.com.
Join my #Elite40, Charles DeVries, at @AutomationAlley's Annual Golf Outing 6/25 at The Inn at St. John's in Plymouth. 
