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

Can these all be core services? Copyright 2010, Palm Beach County Taxpayer Action Board

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

DON’T GIVE IN TO INSATIABLE DEMANDS 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.”

Copyright 2010, Palm Beach County Taxpayer Action Board

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

GO BACK TO THE BASICS 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 ? ? ? ? ?

TAB PROPOSALS IDENTIFY CORE SERVICES TO DISTINGUISH THEM FROM DISCRETIONARY SERVICES AND FUNDING Copyright 2010, Palm Beach County Taxpayer Action Board

LET’S GET TO WORK 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

CORE SERVICES SUMMARY ELIMINATE DISCRETIONARY COSTS IN 2011 TO EXTENT POSSIBLE ADOPT A MOTION TO DIRECT COUNTY STAFF TO UNDERTAKE DETAILED ANALYSIS OF CORE SERVICES FOR 2012 BUDGET Copyright 2010, Palm Beach County Taxpayer Action Board