NE Valley Times

Scottsdale has been awarded the Bloomberg Philanthropies What Works Cities Certification at the Gold Level. This recognition is for its exceptional use of data in policy-making, funding allocation, service improvement, program evaluation, and resident engagement. The certification sets a standard for data-informed local governance.

Mayor David D. Ortega stated, “Our community deserves the best from its city government, and this higher level of certification from the What Works Cities program confirms that we are delivering that in Scottsdale.” He emphasized that the award acknowledges Scottsdale's commitment to utilizing valuable data for the benefit of all residents.

Scottsdale's journey began with being named on the Honor Roll in 2018, achieving Silver certification in 2019 and recertification in 2020. It is now among an elite group of 62 cities worldwide to have achieved this certification.

The city's approach to managing short-term rental properties was highlighted as a recent accomplishment by the What Works Cities team. The Short-term Rental Resource Center provides residents with access to license status information and insights into how short-term rentals affect their neighborhoods. This initiative uses Scottsdale’s Data Service Standard, making it one of the first U.S. cities to publish such a guide for developing reliable data services.

Other significant initiatives include using analysis and data in water resource management and policies like the residential water rebate program. Additionally, efforts have been made to ensure competitive compensation programs for public safety positions and expand resident engagement through technology platforms like Speak Up Scottsdale.

The What Works Cities Certification program was launched by Bloomberg Philanthropies in 2017 and is led by Results for America. It recognizes local governments excelling in data use for policy decisions and resident engagement. In 2022, updated criteria were introduced to emphasize equity priorities and reflect evolving best practices.

Rochelle Haynes, Managing Director of What Works Cities Certification, noted that under new criteria cities are not just leading with data but also prioritizing equity and resident wellbeing: “Leaders from the seven cities join hundreds of data champions in our Certification community.”

James Anderson from Bloomberg Philanthropies added: “The Bloomberg Philanthropies What Works Cities Certification continues to raise the bar for policymakers committed to leveraging data.”

Since its inception, 62 cities have achieved certification under this program open to any city across North, Central or South America with populations over 30,000.