FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 5, 2001
Contact: Gerard McCreight, Legislative Aide (631) 854-4500

Legislature Approves Cooper’s 
"E-Government" Initiative


At its meeting on April 3rd, the Suffolk County Legislature overwhelmingly approved legislation introduced by Legislator Jon Cooper (D-Huntington) that will help make Suffolk County government more efficient and accessible to the public through the creation of an "E-Government Task Force." The task force will make recommendations about how government can operate more efficiently by utilizing the latest electronic technologies.

The eight-member task force will include representatives of the Legislature, other county officials as well as technology experts from Suffolk's business community and educational institutions, including representatives from the Long Island Software and Technology Network (LISTNET), the SUNY Stony Brook Technology Incubator, and the Long Island Association. The group will issue a written report of its recommendations within 270 days after the legislation is signed by the County Executive.

Cooper’s initiative is designed to improve the way citizens interact with government. Cooper notes that Suffolk County is required in its charter to reduce the amount of paper used for the various permits and licenses issued by the county each year, and his "e-government" proposal would help accomplish that goal.

"I’m thrilled that my colleagues in the Legislature offered such strong support for this initiative. It will improve relations between Suffolk residents and their government. Residents will eventually be able to apply for a full range of county services from the comfort of their own homes. Another goal of the task force is to save taxpayers money by reducing the size of county government, while at the same time increasing its overall efficiency. This will be a ‘win-win’ situation for everyone."