Authorizing the Committee on Technology and Information Services to hold hearings on cross-jurisdictional collaborations to explore opportunities for financial savings and other benefits for Philadelphia and its neighboring municipalities and organizations, as well as the efficacy and potential benefits of forming a regional Accountable Care Organization (ACO) which has the potential to realize cost savings and improve the delivery of health care, among other benefits.

WHEREAS, As a result of the great recession, American cities have experienced an average decline in revenue of 2.3 percent from 2010 to 2011, with an expectation of continued fiscal weakness in 2013 and beyond, which has been popularly characterized as “The New Normal”; and

WHEREAS, Cross-jurisdictional collaboration (referred to as “collaboration(s)”) have helped reduce costs and improve services and are quickly becoming best practice among municipalities due to fiscal challenges that are expected to accelerate due to demographic shifts and the increased cost of public expenditures for local governments, all while funding to local governments has generally decreased; and

WHEREAS, The City of Philadelphia has planned $120 million in technology improvements and the benefits, the breadth of the solutions, and the capabilities of such investment may be improved by implementing software, software maintenance, and hosting, among other shared services, in collaboration with other entities with similar needs and seeking similar improvements; and

WHEREAS, Forming a regional Accountable Care Organization (ACO) should be evaluated as a collaboration with potentially significant fiscal benefits for our region as well as the potential to improve the delivery of health care; and

WHEREAS, Collaboration with other governmental entities, including surrounding counties, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia School District, SEPTA, and other entities can create new savings and beneficial relationships in the region; and

WHEREAS, Collaborations with other entities may create eligibility for new funding opportunities from public and private funding sources; now therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That we hereby authorize the Council Committee on Technology and Information Services to hold hearings on cross-jurisdictional collaboration and the potential of such collaborations to create positive fiscal impacts, increased efficacy, and the potential benefit of a regional ACO.

FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Committee on Technology and Information Services is authorized to issue subpoenas as may be necessary to compel the attendance of witnesses and the production of documents to the full extent authorized under Section 2-401 of the Home Rule Charter.

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