Amy
03-28-2004, 12:07 PM
Balancing budgets, finding ways to save money crucial, expert says
By Julie Goodman
jgoodman@clarionledger.com
With the country still smarting from a slow economy, many states have resorted to sweeping plans to pare down, simplify and reorganize government operations.
That means nixing extra office space, pooling copying machines, purchasing supplies in bulk, consolidating programs and stripping down top-heavy departments.
In Mississippi, the streamlining efforts include proposals to merge law enforcement agencies, consolidate work-force training programs and lay off state employees to reduce the size of government.
It is a push Sujit CanagaRetna, fiscal analyst with the Council of State Governments' southern office, said has gained momentum since the recent economic downturn.
That movement has lawmakers and governors trying more earnestly to strike an accord on cost-saving measures, he said. "The urgency of the issue is pretty serious," he said.
In South Carolina, for example, Republican Gov. Mark Sanford created a bipartisan commission to review ways to economize on state government, he said. The commission said South Carolina could save $225 million the first year and $300 million each following year by gathering similar agencies under a single cabinet secretary, sharing motor vehicle fleets and centralizing purchasing.
One of the governor's most controversial proposals, CanagaRetna said, was to appoint five of the state's nine constitutional officers to save the cost of elections.
North Carolina, meanwhile, devised a better way of disposing of surplus property in its agencies, such as furniture, vehicles and real estate. Those savings — about $10 million between fiscal 2001 and 2003 — were deposited into the general fund.
The state also clamped down on overtime and encouraged better time management habits among its corrections staffers, saving about $4.3 million over the same period, CanagaRetna said.
In Florida, Republican Gov. Jeb Bush has proposed placing a state technology office under an executive management department, eliminating overlapping efforts.
Kentucky's legislature hired a Washington-based consulting group to review operations at its transportation department, CanagaRetna said. The group recommended 55 ways the department could save tens of millions of dollars, such as doing away with single-bid construction contracts.
And after a consulting firm reviewed Tennessee's Medicaid program, it reported the state could cut costs by reducing its services to be on par with neighboring states.
Mississippi is mulling its own proposals.
Republican Gov. Haley Barbour's plan includes consolidating purchasing among universities and community colleges, closing older prison units, refinancing prisons, and shrinking and reorganizing the state employee work force.
The Senate has passed parts of Barbour's plan, and the House's plan includes a provision to consolidate law enforcement activities of the public safety, narcotics, transportation and public service commission agencies.
The competing proposals will be worked out by House and Senate negotiators in coming weeks.
Sen. Charlie Ross, R-Brandon, said proposals to pool equipment and purchase in bulk are quick ways to save money.
"Everybody needs pencils. Everybody needs paper. Everybody needs janitorial supplies. If you can purchase that in bulk, you can get volume discounts," he said.
A number of part-time boards and commissions in Mississippi could benefit from pooling office resources and by centralizing administrative work, such as handling contracts, he said.
Sen. Willie Simmons, D-Cleveland, said that while he is not against such proposals, the cost-saving measures become questionable if they require more bureaucracy to be carried out.
"Bulk purchasing will probably always save you money," he said. But, he asked, "Will there be an additional agency created to do the bulk purchasing?" Such proposals in the past have been killed by turf battles among state agencies, he said.
By Julie Goodman
jgoodman@clarionledger.com
With the country still smarting from a slow economy, many states have resorted to sweeping plans to pare down, simplify and reorganize government operations.
That means nixing extra office space, pooling copying machines, purchasing supplies in bulk, consolidating programs and stripping down top-heavy departments.
In Mississippi, the streamlining efforts include proposals to merge law enforcement agencies, consolidate work-force training programs and lay off state employees to reduce the size of government.
It is a push Sujit CanagaRetna, fiscal analyst with the Council of State Governments' southern office, said has gained momentum since the recent economic downturn.
That movement has lawmakers and governors trying more earnestly to strike an accord on cost-saving measures, he said. "The urgency of the issue is pretty serious," he said.
In South Carolina, for example, Republican Gov. Mark Sanford created a bipartisan commission to review ways to economize on state government, he said. The commission said South Carolina could save $225 million the first year and $300 million each following year by gathering similar agencies under a single cabinet secretary, sharing motor vehicle fleets and centralizing purchasing.
One of the governor's most controversial proposals, CanagaRetna said, was to appoint five of the state's nine constitutional officers to save the cost of elections.
North Carolina, meanwhile, devised a better way of disposing of surplus property in its agencies, such as furniture, vehicles and real estate. Those savings — about $10 million between fiscal 2001 and 2003 — were deposited into the general fund.
The state also clamped down on overtime and encouraged better time management habits among its corrections staffers, saving about $4.3 million over the same period, CanagaRetna said.
In Florida, Republican Gov. Jeb Bush has proposed placing a state technology office under an executive management department, eliminating overlapping efforts.
Kentucky's legislature hired a Washington-based consulting group to review operations at its transportation department, CanagaRetna said. The group recommended 55 ways the department could save tens of millions of dollars, such as doing away with single-bid construction contracts.
And after a consulting firm reviewed Tennessee's Medicaid program, it reported the state could cut costs by reducing its services to be on par with neighboring states.
Mississippi is mulling its own proposals.
Republican Gov. Haley Barbour's plan includes consolidating purchasing among universities and community colleges, closing older prison units, refinancing prisons, and shrinking and reorganizing the state employee work force.
The Senate has passed parts of Barbour's plan, and the House's plan includes a provision to consolidate law enforcement activities of the public safety, narcotics, transportation and public service commission agencies.
The competing proposals will be worked out by House and Senate negotiators in coming weeks.
Sen. Charlie Ross, R-Brandon, said proposals to pool equipment and purchase in bulk are quick ways to save money.
"Everybody needs pencils. Everybody needs paper. Everybody needs janitorial supplies. If you can purchase that in bulk, you can get volume discounts," he said.
A number of part-time boards and commissions in Mississippi could benefit from pooling office resources and by centralizing administrative work, such as handling contracts, he said.
Sen. Willie Simmons, D-Cleveland, said that while he is not against such proposals, the cost-saving measures become questionable if they require more bureaucracy to be carried out.
"Bulk purchasing will probably always save you money," he said. But, he asked, "Will there be an additional agency created to do the bulk purchasing?" Such proposals in the past have been killed by turf battles among state agencies, he said.