Good government is a balance between efficiency, effectiveness, accountability, and responsiveness. City leaders have developed a process for accountability through Sunshine Reform but more needs to be done. No amount of transparency will change bad or confusing policy.
Efficiency:
- Flatten management structure across city departments
- Update or eliminate municipal code or city policy that is redundant or creates barriers to good government
- Call for a Top Ten efficiency audit of ALL departments.
- Invest in portable technology that reduces office time and increases staff responsiveness and costumer service.
- Permit and paper reduction/streamlining policies for all Departments.
- Invest in and reward cross-training of employees. Ex + Fixing a community center, General Services brings three separate employees to paint, repair, and do electrical. Why not cross-train one employee?
Accountability:
- Post on City websites an exact line by line accounting of every tax dollar spent on government services in every department.
- Post Time-cards for elected officials.
- Provide quarterly community
- Reward good budget management. If a department or programs meets its programming/project goals and comes in under budget annually, bi-annually, etc., they should be rewarded with a budget and staffing increases.
Effectiveness:
- Continue to invest in Green Tech to reduce carbon footprint, & reduce O/M costs.
- Turn over entire City fleet with low carbon/hybrid vehicle
- Flatten management structure across city departments
- Conduct top/down review of Municipal and departmental policy and procedures.
- Update or eliminate municipal code or city policy that is redundant or creates barriers to good government.
Responsiveness:
- Invest in cross-training for line-supervisor, shift supervisors to increase responsiveness/costumer service
- Have a series of metrics and surveys to make sure each Department is meeting their customer service requirements.
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