Budget Crisis My iPad, City Council Says
CC-licensed, thanks henribergius on Flickr.
City commissioners in a Florida town approved iPads for themselves to save money on paper costs despite budget problems.
The expense of $2,916 was approved for four iPads despite a cash crunch. Last year, Coral Springs dipped into reserves for $4.8 million plus raised fees and property taxes to carry on.
“We’ll definitely save money,” said City Manager Erdal Donmez. He told papers that the cost is “a wash” after factoring laptops the commission will no longer use. The council members were provided with new computers every three years.
The rationale is one used by various city councils who have adopted the iPad to save on reams of paper used to print out agendas for meetings. The agenda for the the last town meeting in Coral Springs, for example, ran 153 pages.
“It’s a way to go paperless,” said Mayor Roy Gold. The commission will have instant access to e-mail, agendas, GPS, the web and their own calendars.
Another city councilor interviewed by Cult of Mac who bought his own iPad said the device saved considerable time and money.
Via Sun Sentinel
Nicole Martinelli is a San Francisco native who has lived in Milan and Florence, Italy. She's written for Wired.com, The New York Times and Newsweek. You can find her on 
