Are iPads A Solution To Reduce Government Spending?

Schools were quick to realize the cost savings made possible by replacing books with iPads. It appears that government agencies may also be able to see similar cost savings. As mentioned in an article on USAToday.com, municipalities across the country are adopting iPads as a cost-cutting measure. Hampton, VA spends $18,000 annually on printing meeting notes and agendas for their city council members. The Mayor, who had recently purchased an iPad for herself, urged the councilors to switch to iPads in place of paper documents. Even with the initial cost of purchasing iPads for each councilor, they will save nearly $14,000 in the first year. There are some real hurdles to this, however. For one, communications to and from municipal officials is generally subject to Open Meeting Act policies. It may be hard to document and disclose all of the communications when they are electronic and instantaneous. Secondly, even if it does have a net cost reduction, there is still an expense. On the other side of the country, Redwood City, CA had issues when they tried to spend $7,000 in a down economy on iPads:

... one council member, Ian Bain, says he is refusing to take an iPad and will continue to use his personal laptop. "We just cut $6 million out of our budget, and the city is expending some money to buy these devices when we don't really need them to go digital," Bain says. "I think it sends the wrong message even if it's just a drop in the bucket to buy these; I just think it's the wrong time to be doing it."

While iPads offer a definite cost savings over paper, there are also other advantages. Roger Haley, the city manager in Lynwood City, CA, was happy with how portable and convenient they were:

"All you would need is the AT&T signal," he says, "and it's really more convenient for the City Council to be able to maintain contact not only with city operations, but with the residents they serve."

While some might argue that an e-book reader like a Kindle is perfectly fine for reading documents, it would not allow for the two-way communication city officials desire. With the iPad gaining such popularity among municipal officials and members of the White House Staff, government may be a place where the iPad becomes a dominant force. Is this latest interest in iPads a smart decision, or just a few people following a fad? Let us know your thoughts in the comments box.

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