SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Consensus, the multi-partner commission focused on local-government modernization, will soon be seeking public opinion on more effective and efficient governance across Onondaga County with the help of a $50,000 grant from the Central New York Community Foundation. The grant will be used to solicit input from community members on local government and the impact it has on their lives, according to a recent news release from the foundation.

In its recently released Baseline Review Report, conducted by the Center for Governmental Research, Consensus found that every taxpayer is served by at least two of the 36 general-purpose governments established within Onondaga County. Total spending by government entities in Onondaga County grew by 40 percent over the past decade, compared to a 29 percent rate of inflation, pointing to the need for change, the news release stated.

Now that the baseline report is complete, Consensus will launch a major public education, outreach, and engagement campaign this year, with final recommendations expected by year-end. It will collect community input through public meetings, social media, surveys, focus groups, town halls, and the Consensus website.

“It is our strong belief that such significant decisions as to the form, structure and scope of local government must be driven by broad, informed and inclusive community dialogue,” Cornelius (Neil) B. Murphy, Consensus co-chair, said in the release. “It is crucial to bring a wide range of voices into the process to help further understand the data that is collected and establish the community’s priorities for government modernization.”

The Community Foundation grant will be combined with similar funding provided by The Gifford Foundation, The John Ben Snow Foundation, The Dorothy and Marshall M. Reisman Foundation, and The Allyn Foundation, the news release noted, to conduct focus groups, phone and online surveys with community members, coordinate a speakers’ bureau for educational opportunities, and facilitate community meetings.

“Consensus’ public outreach plan is helping a large, diverse group of community members be heard about the efficiency of their local governments,” Peter Dunn, president and CEO of the CNY Community Foundation, said in the release.

Consensus (www.consensuscny.com), the Commission on Local Government Modernization, was launched in 2014 to help shape a vision for more effective and efficient local governance in Onondaga County. It is comprised of 17 public and private partners, including SYRACUSE 20/20, CenterState CEO, Onondaga County, FOCUS Greater Syracuse, League of Women Voters of the Syracuse Metropolitan Area, Onondaga Citizens League, and Homebuilders & Remodelers Association of CNY.