St. Paul is a finalist for the
Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Mayors Challenge, rising above a pool of over 300 entries.
The competition is about inspiring “American cities to generate innovative ideas that solve major challenges and improve city life,” a prepared statement from the city reads.
The city's entry was an idea to make the city’s permit review and license process accessible online.
“Permit St. Paul,” as it’s called, aims to improve customer service and results and make government more transparent, while also keeping costs down, the statement reads.
The city is up against 19 others across the country for the $5 million grand prize and $1 million runner-up awards.