Iowa Charter Agencies

Welcome to the Charter Agencies web site. 

Charter Agencies are pioneering a new bureaucracy-busting path for Iowa government. This award-winning innovation has proven how Iowa state government can deliver better service to Iowans by reducing red tape and redirecting that time and energy into results. We hope it can do the same for you.

Americans are challenging their governments today, perhaps as never before. They want their governments to make their communities safe, to educate their youth, to keep us healthy, to create and preserve good jobs, and guard the environment. And they want government to achieve all this at a price in taxes they can afford. Charter Agencies help do just that. By making a new, bureaucracy-busting deal with our Charter Agencies, we have shown how government can do an even better job of supporting our communities so they can be the best places to live, work, and raise families. Charter Agencies also help balance the budget, contributing savings or entrepreneurial revenues.

Iowa stands ready to work with you if you find this innovation intriguing. One of the great things about the Charter Agency concept is that it works at any level of government: local, state, or federal. We hope you will be able to implement your own version of Charter Agencies – one that fits your needs and circumstances – and that your Charter Agencies will improve life for the people in your communities. Please feel free to contact us or the Charter Agency experts listed in these pages.

                        Sincerely,  

Chester Culver                                                          Patty Judge

Governor                                                                   Lieutenant Governor

Innovations in American Government Award Winner (July 2005)

"The Roy and Lila Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation fosters excellence in government around the world in order to generate and strengthen democracy. Through its research, publications, curriculum support, global network, and awards program, the Ash Institute explores critical issues in democratic practice and effective governance. By engaging a broad, global community in which knowledge is shared, by generating and supporting research and curriculum materials, and by highlighting exemplary government programs, the Institute serves as a catalyst for successfully addressing many of the world's most pressing concerns and, in turn, improving the lives of its citizens." - Ash Institute Web Site

Watch the video presentation by Governor Vilsack.

If you have questions or would like more information, please contact:

Teresa Hay McMahon

Division Administrator, Accountability and Results
Iowa Department of Management
Capitol, Room 12
Des Moines, IA 50319
(515) 281-6537
Fax (515) 242-5897
Teresa.McMahon@iowa.gov

"This website is made possible by a grant from the Innovations in American Government Award, a program of the
Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government and
administered in partnership with the Council for Excellence in Government"