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Kyle Sullivan
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Administration Committed to Streamlined, Efficient Delivery of Services
In keeping with their commitment to simplify and streamline state government, Governor Deval Patrick and Administration and Finance Secretary Leslie Kirwan today asked all Executive Branch Department heads to begin identifying savings of 5 percent to 10 percent within their budgets to prepare to meet the challenges the state faces in FY 08.
During his campaign, Governor Patrick pledged to lead fiscally responsible, efficient government. He believes the administration can realize significant savings by enforcing wage and hour laws, improving Medicaid reimbursement processes and limiting legislative earmarks.
In preparation of Governor Patrick's budget filing next month, all agencies have been asked to prioritize their spending needs for FY 08. This exercise is designed to allow new Cabinet members to request funding for priorities, identify efficiencies, and recommend reductions or eliminations to underperforming programs as necessary. The information submitted to Secretary Kirwan will not necessarily reflect a final budget recommendation, but will provide useful data to facilitate the administration's planning for next year and beyond.
“We owe our citizens the most effective and efficient government possible,” Governor Patrick said. “That is why Secretary Kirwan and I are asking our department leaders to take a fresh look at the way they do business.”
Departments have been instructed to explore their savings by clearly identifying efficiencies wherever possible, including consolidating office space, implementing energy efficiency projects, and evaluating internal processes to identify any duplication of efforts of steps that have no added value.
The Administration also has asked departments to review the programs they administer to determine which, if any, can be eliminated due to poor performance or because they are no longer central to the mission of the respective departments.
“The Governor and I are looking for leadership from our entire team as we work to strengthen government performance and close the budget gap we have identified,” Secretary Kirwan said. “We strongly believe that there are steps that can and should be taken to ensure our first budget is honest, fair, and fiscally responsible, reflecting the priorities of our Administration.”
Additionally, the Administration has instructed department heads to estimate the impact of their suggestions on their FY 09 budgets in order to help predict future costs and savings.
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