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The Model City
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/magazine/articles/2006/05/14/the_model_city/
The piece de resistance, however, is 311. Dial that number from almost
any phone in the city, and you reach Somerville's help line. Street
unplowed? Cat up a tree? Want to know your alderman's name? Simple
questions are answered. Complex ones get a case number, and residents
can track their concerns on the Web as easily as a FedEx package.
It's a remarkable idea: A local government that actually treats its
citizens like customers and holds itself accountable to them. Few
places in Massachusetts have 311, and no other has put in place
Somerville's mix of budgeting and management tools.