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Local municipal joint purchasing program recognized with Harvard award

A Harvard University program has recognized the Northern Illinois Municipal Partnering Initiative (MPI), which includes more than 30 municipalities in Cook and Lake County. The Bright Ideas Award was accepted Jan. 18 on behalf of MPI by Glenview, which established the program in 2010 and provides ongoing organizational support. The award acknowledges governmental innovation.

MPI is a cooperative venture in which local governments purchase shared services and commodities, including curbs and sidewalk improvements, asphalt patching and road resurfacing. The goal is to control costs while leveraging the power of joint purchasing.

Over the last seven years, MPI has been the catalyst for 25 joint bidding projects, resulting in savings of up to $2.6 million for taxpayers living in the participating municipalities. In 2016, a joint bid for cross-connection control device testing saved Buffalo Grove 40 percent compared to previous pricing.

"We are proud to be a part of such a forward-thinking group that is jointly working for the benefit of all of our stakeholders," Buffalo Grove Village President Beverly Sussman said in a news release.

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