by Blair Milo and John Fernandez
As former mayors in Indiana, we get it.
The challenges facing our communities are daunting. The pace of technological, economic and social change is relentless. The pursuit of the resources needed to fuel progress and improve the quality of life is all-consuming.
As Indiana-based Sagamore Institute documented last year in its “Workforce 2040: Pathways to Prosperity” report, our state and our communities have arrived at a pivotal moment in history as powerful economic, demographic and technological trends converge.
Great opportunities lie ahead but also great challenges. How we tackle both at the local and state levels will largely shape the quality of life in cities and towns throughout Indiana in the years ahead.
The good news is that our mayors and other community leaders don’t have to face these challenges alone. We want to offer a way to help.
Goldsmith program
In April, Sagamore Institute announced the inaugural Goldsmith Prize for Innovation in Local Government, an initiative that will recognize and support an Indiana community that is responding to today’s challenges with fresh thinking and forward-looking solutions
The award is named after former Indianapolis Mayor Stephen Goldsmith, long recognized as a national leader in delivering innovative solutions to local governments in our state and beyond.
The Goldsmith Prize is about innovation in the broadest sense: rethinking outdated processes, forging creative partnerships, designing smarter policies and improving service delivery in ways that make life better for residents.
It’s about celebrating what’s working – and sharing it so others can benefit. What succeeds in Vincennes may also help Richmond, Bluffton or Brazil.
The winning community will receive not only recognition but also practical support: a graduate student with expertise in the project’s focus area will be assigned to help lead implementation in 2026. The position will be funded through the prize via a one-year stipend.
Additional technical advice and information resources will be provided, along with a platform to share success stories, foster partnerships, and encourage replication and innovation across the state.
Applications for the Goldsmith Prize are now being accepted. The deadline to apply is July 31.
In August, a panel of leaders in the business sector, nonprofit organizations and government will review applications to determine three finalists. Leaders from those communities will be invited to give a presentation on Aug. 22. From those presentations, the inaugural winning community will be selected and announced at the Aim Ideas Summit in October in French Lick.
Sparking innovation
So, what does innovation look like?
As mayor of La Porte, one of us (Blair) approved a recommendation from the city engineer to use a comprehensive asset management system that evaluated the condition of every street in the city’s 113-mile network. Each road received a PASER score (1 to 10), enabling the city to rank streets from best to worst and develop a long-term plan that prioritized critical repairs while preserving roads in good shape.
It wasn’t flashy, but it was smart. This data-driven, proactive approach helped La Porte stretch limited resources further— and it later became the model for a now-required process in the state’s Community Crossings Matching Grant program.
That’s the kind of innovation we’re talking about — not just new gadgets or apps, but better ways of doing the work that matters most – whether that’s managing infrastructure, tackling housing or workforce challenges, improving customer service or strengthening civic trust.
How is your community rethinking how it serves residents? What partnerships, tools, policies or practices are helping you do more with less – and do it better?
We want to know, not only to recognize and reward your success but also to inform and inspire leaders in other communities.
Because we know how hard it can be to lead well when the pace of change is so intense. Because we know resources are perpetually tight.
And because we know that by working together in our communities and across our state, we can find the solutions to meet the enormous challenges that lie ahead.
SOURCE: Indiana Capital Chronicle