With assistance from Management Services, Anne Beck, and the IMS web team, we have vastly improved our web site. Slcgov.com, which now offers a variety of bill-paying features in addition to important City information, has been ranked fifth in the nation by Brown University, and fourth in the nation for midsize cities by the Center for Digital Government. The latter also ranked Salt Lake City as fourth in the nation for "digital government" this past year, recognizing our overall efforts to improve government and civic participation using technology. Thanks to XMission, Salt Lake City residents have free wireless access to the Internet on Main Street, at the City Library, at Pioneer and Liberty Parks, and many other locations within our community.

To encourage civic participation and provide young people with experience working in City government, we began an intern program in 2002. Under the guidance of the always conscientious and reliable Yolanda Francisco-Nez, who is such a credit to our Office, over fifty-five students from colleges across the country have gained valuable experience in the Mayor�s Office serving our community. We will continue to expand this critical program and allow a greater number of students to gain important insight into the workings of City government.

Salt Lake City�s Division of Economic Development, under the extremely capable and enthusiastic leadership of Alison McFarlane, provides a crucial role in stimulating job growth and attending to business interests in Salt Lake City. Commercial activity, particularly that of local, independently owned businesses, is the lifeblood of our city. In bringing people from many walks of life together in common purpose, our places of work help forge bonds of reciprocity and mutual understanding between people who might not otherwise associate with one another.

The Revolving Loan Fund provides a vital tool for supporting our small business community. With the astute, principled direction provided by Ed Butterfield, our Small Business Manager, the City has expanded its small business assistance to unprecedented levels. Since 2000, the City has loaned over $9 million to Salt Lake City businesses, compared with only $705,000 from 1991 through 1999. That is a 13-fold increase. In total, our Economic Development Division has granted loans and provided direct loan assistance to approximately two hundred seventy businesses since 2000, and has provided direct business assistance�such as help with zoning, permitting, and demographics�to nearly twelve hundred businesses.

Through their inspired efforts, Ed and Alison have helped create a sea change in favor of creative, committed support for our small business community.

Salt Lake City�s Economic Development Division continues to be a strong supporter of the Local First organization. With $40,000 of Salt Lake City seed money, Local First has hired a full time director, officially launched the Buy Local First campaign, expanded the organization�s website to include more than 250 local businesses in an easy-to-use directory, and created a Local First brochure.