January 24, 2000

“Marion County Government is focusing on the future. This future can best be described as a governmental organization recognized for cost effective, efficiently delivered, clearly understood and intergovernmentally coordinated services that meet the changing demographics and service needs of community members. This is the picture of Marion County government in the year 2002.”

Not quite my version of goals for Marion County, but yes, there are some similarities to MY personal goals – and to the Board goals for 2000.

In the Fall of 1998, just before I was elected to the Marion County Commission, Marion County developed its System Improvement Plan. The Plan was the result of many hours of facilitated brainstorming. This effort took place largely in response to the fiscal crisis of 1980. Actually, it was an additional, or updated response to the 1980 crisis.

Marion County has grappled with the challenges of improving coordination between appointed and elected officials, engaging more and better involvement from the public, empowering the county employees, and delivering cost effective, efficient programs and services to the public for many years and in as many ways.

To help put my own goals and the Board Goals for 2000 into perspective, it has been helpful to review previous goals, previous efforts to change Marion County government to respond to and fit a changing world.

I’d like to share some of the interesting, some ironic and some startling points:

The 1998 Goals includes:

Build results and positive outcomes

Engage the Community in governing

Build partnerships that enhance services

Keep our community and employees informed

Provide quality customer service

Be good stewards of pubic monies

Our 2000 Goals are:

Financial Management

Human Resource Management

Communications

Information Technology

Capital Management

Accountability

Sound quite similar, don’t they?

Let’s take a closer look at the 1998 goals. To be good stewards, “the plan identifies a clear process for financial management involving a steering committee.”

**Isn’t financial management a responsibility of the Commissioners?

“Being accountable …is achieved through a revised description of the county administrator’s role…(acting as) the leader/facilitator for the county’s Community Leadership/Shared Governance” committee.

**Isn’t being accountable the responsibility of the Commissioners? Shouldn’t the County Administrator act at the direction of the Commissioners? Is a committee necessary to hold county government accountable?

“This recognizes that the county does not and will not have sufficient resources to meet all the community needs.”

**When we begin with the premise there is not enough money, the debate is prejudicial from the beginning!

As I read on, I became more discouraged. Actually, I was beginning to understand better why many have such little confidence in Goals.

The Summary and Background go on to suggest the creation of even more ad hoc work groups. Don’t get me wrong, these are good in many instances, but when an ad hoc group is determining policy, two things happen. First the wrong people are making the decision, and second, the decision making takes far too long!

One example: An ad hoc committee to look into hiring a grant writer. It didn’t happen, the committee did not happen to my knowledge and I intend to have a preliminary conversation with a couple of grant writers so I can take a proposal to my fellow commissioners to look over – and then we’ll decide to do it or not!!

There is an entire notebook filled with some very good ideas, dating back to 1988! I think you get the idea however, just as I did reading through this.

Good ideas get bogged down in lengthy processes, burdensome committee procedures and boring reports!

When I was finished reading through this notebook, I better understood the pessimism many greeted the Board Goals, 2000 with!

I believe our Goals 2000 are specific, clear and focused. If we use discipline and weave these goals into our daily job functions, we will in fact achieve them.

My personal goals, are in fact, woven into the Board Goals to better enhance them. I can stay focused on my Goals and the Board Goals.