CORE SERVICES
Copyright 2010, Palm Beach County Taxpayer Action Board
A GOVERNMENT BIG ENOUGH
TO GIVE YOU EVERYTHING YOU WANT,
IS BIG ENOUGH TO TAKE AWAY
EVERYTHING YOU HAVE.
--THOMAS JEFFERSON
Copyright 2010, Palm Beach County Taxpayer Action Board
What are core services?
Services the county is required by law to provide
CORE SERVICES
Fox Business 7/16/2010
For decades, state and local governments across the U.S. have conceded to the insatiable demands of both their constituents and the public employee unions whose contracts they negotiate and ultimately approve.
Copyright 2010, Palm Beach County Taxpayer Action Board
Fox Business 7/16/2010
The result has been unprecedented levels of service delivered through
ever-expanding layers of government bureaucracy.
Copyright 2010, Palm Beach County Taxpayer Action Board
Primary Obligation to Taxpayers not County Employees
An elected county official commented that his primary obligation as an elected official was to the taxpayers and rate payers of the county. His primary obligation is not to county employees, despite his close relationship with many of them. (Fox Business 7/16/2010)
Copyright 2010, Palm Beach County Taxpayer Action Board
The Executive Director of the New York State Association of Counties
The writing has been on the wall for some time warning elected officials that a financial reckoning was just around the corner.
The politicians have reflexively indulged a “compulsion or a need to respond to constituent
requests.”
Copyright 2010, Palm Beach County Taxpayer Action Board
Stephen Acquario, executive director of the New York State Association of Counties, said the writing has been on the wall for some time warning elected officials that a financial reckoning was just around the corner.The politicians, he said, have reflexively indulged what Acquario described as a “compulsion or a need to respond to constituent requests.”
Executive Director of the New York State Association of Counties
“We’re starting to ask ourselves at the county government level just what are the core services that county government should be providing. We can’t be all things to all people.”
Copyright 2010, Palm Beach County Taxpayer Action Board
The question for County Commissioners is no longer what services and amenities citizens would like to have
Copyright 2010, Palm Beach County Taxpayer Action Board
CHANGE IS NEEDED
Decisions now need to be made on the basis of what the county is required to
provide by law
Copyright 2010, Palm Beach County Taxpayer Action Board
Palm Beach County is not alone
Virtually every other county in Florida is facing the same problems:
Hillsborough
Broward
Miami-Dade
And the list goes on and on
Copyright 2010, Palm Beach County Taxpayer Action Board
Hillsborough County
County Administrator: “…our greatest singular opportunity as a community [is] to clarify the role and mission of local government in providing services to our residents.”
Copyright 2010, Palm Beach County Taxpayer Action Board
Hillsborough County
Some of their proposed solutions:
• Merging three departments into one
• Merge and integrate administrative, financial and human resources into a single Management Support Unit for three departments.
• Eliminated Debt Management Department by a joint agreement with the Clerk of the Circuit Court
Copyright 2010, Palm Beach County Taxpayer Action Board
Whatcom County, WA
Their County Executive said:
We must take a long, hard look at the core operations of County government, enhance those services that work and serve our residents and divest our government of those services that are simply no longer cost-effective or possible.
Copyright 2010, Palm Beach County Taxpayer Action Board
Palm Beach County
It is time to face reality and make the hard decisions
Copyright 2010, Palm Beach County Taxpayer Action Board
EASY MONEY BLINDED THE COUNTY TO ITS CORE MISSION
Copyright 2010, Palm Beach County Taxpayer Action Board
WHAT CAN WE DO?
Copyright 2010, Palm Beach County Taxpayer Action Board
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
? ? ? ? ?
TAB PROPOSALS
IDENTIFY CORE SERVICES TO
DISTINGUISH THEM FROM
DISCRETIONARY SERVICES AND
FUNDING
Copyright 2010, Palm Beach County Taxpayer Action Board
TAB PROPOSALS
THREE CATEGORIES OF CORE SERVICES
• MANDATED BY LAW
• ESSENTIAL TO HEALTH AND SAFETY AND NOT OTHERWISE AVAILABLE
• ADMINISTRATIVE AND SUPORT SERVICES FOR THE ABOVE
Copyright 2010, Palm Beach County Taxpayer Action Board
TAB PROPOSALS
ALL OTHER PROGRAMS AND SERVICES ARE
DISCRETIONARY
Copyright 2010, Palm Beach County Taxpayer Action Board
TAB PROPOSALS
SPENDING ON CORE SERVICES ALSO NEEDS ANALYSIS
• ARE THE SERVICES BEING PROVIDED IN THE MOST EFFICIENT AND COST EFFECTIVE MANNER?
• ARE THEY SERVICES WHICH CAN BE PROVIDED THROUGH OUTSIDE SOURCES AT A LOWER COST?
Copyright 2010, Palm Beach County Taxpayer Action Board
OTHER STRATEGIES TO CONSIDER
RATHER THAN CUTTING A CORE SERVICE, CAN FEE OPTIONS
ALLOW IT TO BE SELF SUSTAINING OR CAN IT BE
PROVIDED THROUGH ANOTHER SOURCE?
Copyright 2010, Palm Beach County Taxpayer Action Board
OTHER STRATEGIES
CAN COSTS BE REDUCED THROUGH OUTSIDE
CONTRACTING, PARTNERSHIPS WITH OTHERS, COMBINING
DEPARTMENTS OR SERVICES OR OTHER ARRANGEMENTS?
Copyright 2010, Palm Beach County Taxpayer Action Board
OTHER STRATEGIES
COMPARE COMPENSATION PACKAGES BETWEEN COUNTY
EMPLOYEES AND OUTSIDE RESOURCES CAPABLE OF PROVIDING THE SERVICE
Copyright 2010, Palm Beach County Taxpayer Action Board
OTHER STRATEGIES
CONSIDER IMPACT OF PENSION PROGRAM OBLIGATION IMPACTS ON FUTURE COUNTY BUDGETS WHEN COMPARING COUNTY WORKERS
PROVIDING A SERVICE VS. A PRIVATE SOURCE
Copyright 2010, Palm Beach County Taxpayer Action Board
OTHER STRATEGIES
ADOPTION OF POLICY TO NOT WAIVE FEES, e.g. IMPACT FEES, IN
THE FUTURE
Copyright 2010, Palm Beach County Taxpayer Action Board
OTHER STRATEGIES
LOBBY AND ADVOCATE REVOCATION OF UNFUNDED
FEDERAL AND STATE MANDATES
Copyright 2010, Palm Beach County Taxpayer Action Board
OTHER STRATEGIES
IDENTIFY AND ELIMINATE DUPLICATION OF SERVICES WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, e.g. code enforcement, licensing, etc.
Copyright 2010, Palm Beach County Taxpayer Action Board
OTHER STRATEGIES
CONSIDER DOING BUDGET PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT ON
A BIENNIAL BASIS
Copyright 2010, Palm Beach County Taxpayer Action Board
OTHER STRATEGIES
REQUIRE BUDGET DECISIONS TO BE CONSISTENT WITH A LONG
RANGE PLAN
Copyright 2010, Palm Beach County Taxpayer Action Board