From the Northwest Indiana Times:
The financial straits facing local government are paying off, in some cases, by driving innovation and bringing about greater efficiency. Porter County is one of those places.
Porter County Emergency Management Director Russell Shirley's plan to consolidate the emergency management and environmental departments should be approved by the County Council. It already has the commissioners' blessing.
Shirley figures this would save the taxpayers $20,000 a year. It's a bit complicated, but the rationale is that the federal government reimburses half of the salaries for the emergency management as well as a portion of the benefit costs. The reorganized department would have Shirley in charge, along with a deputy director and administrative assistant to handle emergency management, plus a part-time training officer for the environmental department.
Combining the two departments makes sense, because both deal with preparing for and coping with emergencies.
Another efficiency move in Porter County government came from Porter County Assessor Jon Snyder, who has restructured his department and reduced his staff from 24 to 20 since taking office in January 2011. That has saved the county $50,000 to $60,000 a year.
Snyder also launched an initiative last year to put more county records online, which should make it easier for the public to get the information it needs.
Not all of the government efficiency and cost-saving moves are in Porter County government. Valparaiso Mayor Jon Costas merged the storm sewer and water departments several years ago, and Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. persuaded the City Council to jettison the city health department.
There are other examples of cost savings, reorganization and improved efficiency in local government; these are just a few of them.
Under the theory that necessity is the mother of invention, the financial straits imposed by property tax caps and other means are paying off for taxpayers. Government is evolving, just as it must, to adapt to new conditions.
This is the kind of government efficiency the taxpayers should demand.
http://www.nwitimes.com/news/opinion/editorial/editorial-local-government-efficiency-merits-praise/article_f4f57af2-199a-52d4-88af-7bed3f045e56.html
