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Leonard Gilroy
Leonard Gilroy
Director of Government Reform
Director of Government Reform
Reason Foundation
leonard.gilroy@reason.org
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Bio
Leonard Gilroy is the Director of Government Reform at Reason Foundation, a nonprofit think tank advancing free minds and free markets. Gilroy researches privatization, government reform, fiscal, transportation, infrastructure and urban policy issues.
Gilroy has a diversified background in policy research and implementation, with particular emphases on public-private partnerships, competition, government efficiency, transparency, accountability, and government performance. Gilroy has worked closely with legislators and elected officials in Texas, Arizona, Louisiana, New Jersey, Utah, Virginia, California and several other states and local governments in efforts to design and implement market-based policy approaches, improve government performance, enhance accountability in government programs, and reduce government spending.
In 2010 and 2011, Gilroy served as a gubernatorial appointee to the Arizona Commission on Privatization and Efficiency, and in 2010 he served as an advisor to the New Jersey Privatization Task Force, created by Gov. Chris Christie.
Gilroy is the editor of the widely-read Annual Privatization Report, which examines trends and chronicles the experiences of local, state, and federal governments in bringing competition to public services. Gilroy also edits Reason's annual Innovators in Action report, which profiles public sector innovators in their own words, including former U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue, former New York City Mayor Rudy Guiliani and more.
Gilroy's articles have been featured in such leading publications as The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, New York Post, The Weekly Standard, Washington Times, Houston Chronicle, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Arizona Republic, San Francisco Examiner, San Diego Union-Tribune, Philadelphia Inquirer, Sacramento Bee and The Salt Lake Tribune. He has also appeared on CNN, Fox News Channel, Fox Business, CNBC, National Public Radio and other media outlets.
Prior to joining Reason, Gilroy was a senior planner at a Louisiana-based urban planning consulting firm. He also worked as a research assistant at the Virginia Center for Coal and Energy Research at Virginia Tech. Gilroy earned a B.A. and M.A. in Urban and Regional Planning from Virginia Tech.
AllStudiesBlog PostsOp-Eds
- Rethinking Washington State Parks: How to Avoid Governor Inslee’s Plan to Close 60 State Parks
Antiquated, top-down management model is unsustainable; private sector can play major role
Leonard Gilroy
May 17, 2013 - Louisiana Republicans Introduce Bills to Replicate Massachusetts's Pro-Union, Anti-Privatization “Pacheco Law”
Bills would effectively shut down use of privatization, competitive contracting to lower costs of government
Leonard Gilroy
May 9, 2013 - Building Jacksonville’s Public-Private Partnership Program to Drive Efficiency, Quality of Life
Interview with Renée Finley, Commissioner of Public-Private Partnerships, City of Jacksonville, Florida
Leonard Gilroy
May 7, 2013 - State and International Corrections Privatization Update
Subsection of Annual Privatization Report 2013: Criminal Justice and Corrections
Leonard Gilroy and Harris Kenny
May 6, 2013 - 2012 Corrections Privatization Overview
Subsection of Annual Privatization Report 2013: Criminal Justice and Corrections
Leonard Gilroy
May 6, 2013 - State Budget Update
Subsection of Annual Privatization Report 2013: State Government Privatization
Leonard Gilroy
April 22, 2013 - Privatization of State Lottery Management
Subsection of Annual Privatization Report 2013: State Government Privatization
Leonard Gilroy
April 22, 2013 - The Emergence of Social Impact Bonds: Paying for Success in Social Service Innovation
Subsection of Annual Privatization Report 2013: State Government Privatization
Leonard Gilroy
April 22, 2013 - California Pioneers Public-Private Partnerships for Private Operation of State Parks
Subsection of Annual Privatization Report 2013: State Government Privatization
Leonard Gilroy
April 22, 2013 - Higher Education Public-Private Partnerships Update
Subsection of Annual Privatization Report 2013: State Government Privatization
Leonard Gilroy
April 22, 2013 - Social Infrastructure Public-Private Partnerships Update
Subsection of Annual Privatization Report 2013: State Government Privatization
Leonard Gilroy
April 22, 2013 - State Liquor Privatization Update
Subsection of Annual Privatization Report 2013: State Government Privatization
Leonard Gilroy
April 22, 2013 - State Privatization News and Notes
Subsection of Annual Privatization Report 2013: State Government Privatization
Leonard Gilroy
April 22, 2013 - Breaking the State’s Control of Municipal Pensions in Massachusetts
Interview with Barry Greenfield, Town of Swampscott, Mass. Selectman and Founder/Publisher of EfficientGov.com
Leonard Gilroy
April 8, 2013 - Base California's Budget on Performance, Not Politics
To Gov. Brown, it's more responsible for the state government to just keep spending money on autopilot without wasting time measuring effectiveness or reviewing results
Leonard Gilroy
January 29, 2013 - Gov. Brown Uses Tricks to 'Balance' CA Budget
Budget 'balanced' with tax hikes, smoke & mirrors
Leonard Gilroy
January 18, 2013 - ‘Yellow Pages Test’ Would Ease State, Local Budget Pains
Innovative governments applying competition to service delivery, public assets
John Palatiello and Leonard Gilroy
December 31, 2012 - Legislature Has the Chance to Set a Standard on 64
It is in policymakers' best interests to get this right—even if they didn’t support the initiative in the first place.
Harris Kenny and Leonard Gilroy
December 28, 2012 - Privatizing Lottery Management in Pennsylvania
Interview with Pete Tartline, Executive Deputy Secretary of the Budget, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Leonard Gilroy
December 20, 2012 - Why Colorado’s Marijuana Legalization Initiative Could Be In Vain
State policymakers need to develop sensible marijuana regulations, not destructive ones.
Harris Kenny and Leonard Gilroy
December 14, 2012 - Delivering Florida's 21st Century Transportation System Through Tolling, Managed Lanes and Public-Private Partnerships
Interview with Ananth Prasad, Secretary, Florida Department of Transportation
Leonard Gilroy
November 21, 2012 - Addressing Ohio's Transportation Funding Challenges Through Streamlining, Public-Private Partnerships
Interview with Jerry Wray, Director, Ohio Department of Transportation
Leonard Gilroy
November 13, 2012 - Learning to Trust the Private Sector
Contracting out helps to build the case for a larger private sector role in public service delivery
Leonard Gilroy
October 26, 2012 - The Value of the Contract Model
Incremental privatization can offer a proof of concept that works to break down societal conceptions of “traditional” government
Leonard Gilroy
October 18, 2012 - The Incremental Approach to Privatization
Incremental advances help build the case for longer-term privatization
Leonard Gilroy
October 3, 2012 - 21st Century Schools Require 21st Century Finance
Policymakers can improve - if not reinvent - the American education system.
Harris Kenny and Leonard Gilroy
September 28, 2012 - To Avoid Massive Tax Hikes, Privatize State Lotteries
An innovative new lottery privatization model is emerging.
Leonard Gilroy and Harris Kenny
August 30, 2012 - Making Phoenix a 24-Hour City: Privatizing City Permitting to Cut Red Tape and Drive Economic Development
Interview with Phoenix City Councilman Sal DiCiccio
Leonard Gilroy
July 31, 2012 - California Is Ground Zero for Muni Bankruptcies
When will lawmakers start rethinking how municipalities should operate?
Harris Kenny and Leonard Gilroy
July 26, 2012 - Big City Democrats Are Embracing Privatization
Heavyweights like Chicago's Rahm Emanuel are going around public agencies and unions to improve schools, roads, parks and more
Leonard Gilroy and Harris Kenny
July 12, 2012 - Local, State Governments' Assets Causing Budgetary Pains
Why all levels of government should apply the "Yellow Pages Test" to its activities
Leonard Gilroy and John Palatiello
July 3, 2012 - Looking Back at Indianapolis’ Parking Meter Lease, One Year Later
Interview with Michael Huber, Deputy Mayor for Economic Development, City of Indianapolis, Indiana
Leonard Gilroy
June 27, 2012 - Private Sector, Local Governments Find Investment Opportunities in Municipal Parking Assets
Chicago, Indianapolis unlock value trapped in a neglected treasure
Harris Kenny and Leonard Gilroy
June 22, 2012 - Washington State Approves Privatization of State Liquor Monopoly; Other States May Follow
Washington State to become first state to fully privatize state's wholesale, retail liquor monopoly
Leonard Gilroy
May 31, 2012 - Creating a Culture of Competition to Improve Corrections
Interview with Gary Mohr, Director of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction
Leonard Gilroy
May 31, 2012 - States and Cities Going Private With Infrastructure Investment
Leonard Gilroy and Harris Kenny
May 24, 2012 - States Exploring Private Lottery Management
Illinois launched a groundbreaking privatization of lottery management in 2011 to increase revenues. Other states eye similar deals
Leonard Gilroy
May 21, 2012 - Puerto Rico Building Robust Infrastructure Privatization Program
Puerto Rico advanced public-private partnerships in schools, highways and aviation in 2011
Leonard Gilroy
May 15, 2012 - Christie Administration Expanded Privatization Portfolio in New Jersey in 2011
Initiatives advanced in toll collection, road maintenance, racing facilities and more
Leonard Gilroy
May 15, 2012 - Jindal Continued Louisiana Privatization Push in 2011
Initiatives advanced in Medicaid, public employee health care and more
Leonard Gilroy
May 15, 2012 - Kasich Administration Advanced Privatization in Ohio in 2011
Initiatives advanced in economic development, asset realignment and more
Leonard Gilroy
May 15, 2012 - Tunnel Project Needs to Move Ahead
Improvements are vital to mobility, port commerce and regional economy
Shirley Ybarra and Leonard Gilroy
April 13, 2012 - Midtown Tunnel Likely Dies without Tolls
Private financing is best path forward for tunnel expansion, highway improvements
Leonard Gilroy and Baruch Feigenbaum
April 13, 2012 - The Dynamic Duo of Carrollton, Texas: Creating a Culture of Competition in City Government
Interview with Carrollton, Texas City Manager Leonard Martin and Director of Competition Tom Guilfoy
Leonard Gilroy
April 5, 2012 - Privatize Parking, But Not for the Kings
The current arena plan is a steal for the Kings and an air ball for taxpayers.
Harris Kenny and Leonard Gilroy
March 6, 2012 - Offering State and Local Governments New Tools for Infrastructure Delivery in Texas
Interview with Texas State Rep. Jim Murphy
Leonard Gilroy
March 5, 2012 - Competition Could Lower Costs of Prison Healthcare in Arizona
Letter to the Editor Submitted to the Arizona Republic
Leonard Gilroy
February 24, 2012 - Florida’s Privatization Proposal Could Drive Innovation, Performance in Corrections
Policymakers should look past political hype, consider the Senate’s proposal on its merits
Leonard Gilroy and Adrian Moore
February 10, 2012 - Will States Toast Liquor Privatization in 2012?
Reviewing the landscape for divesting state alcohol monopolies
Leonard Gilroy
February 3, 2012 - Maryland Announces $456m PPP to Redevelop and Operate I-95 Travel Plazas
Deal a win-win for taxpayers, business, state
Leonard Gilroy
January 27, 2012
Out of Control Policy Blog 
- Reducing BAC from .08 to .05 Will Not Significantly Reduce Drunk Driving (5/24)
- I-5 Bridge Collapses; Washington State Ranked 34th In Making Progress on Deficient and Functionally Obsolete Bridges (5/23)
- Reason's Len Gilroy Talks TVA Privatization, Annual Privatization Report on Heartland Institute Podcast (5/23)
- How to Avoid Closing Washington State Parks (5/17)
- Give Managed Lane Conversions Time (5/16)
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