2011-01-14 Cost of Government Commission Minutes

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council and say, look, we’re really hurting in these five or six positions and we need to have those filled, and the others we understand. Here’s another level of five or six positions that we really feel are important and pursue it in that matter. And then have a council ad hoc committee to really review the effort and go to the department heads involved and try to get better information. Or have our legislative assistants do some of that work. There’s nothing wrong with legislative assistants in taking some of the work so to speak. And I don’t know that all of us use our leg assistants as competently as we could in that regard. That would be one way of looking at it. MS. O’HARA: Thank you. MS. NICHOLSON: Any questions? I have questions. You have talked about each department doing three budget scenarios. And that was based on department heads? MR. HOFFMANN: I’m sorry. Yes. I’m looking at a three level budget. MS. NICHOLSON: Basically to determine what their priorities are. Where does public input fit in all that? MR. HOFFMANN: Well initially, I’m not sure Madam Chair, that the initial documents, I think should be done in-house by the administration first. After all it is their budget to begin. It’s only when that budget is then handed to the council that I feel, then becomes the council budget and it’s the council’s responsibility then to seek public input and go further. So, initially much as we did in DOD and in government today at federal level, things are done in-house initially, and then subject to review after it is presented. Only the administration would know initially where those cuts might come and what their prioritization of effort is. And you hit exactly on the point too, that I think underlies a lot of this –that’s a prioritization by the departments. And that’s important. A lot of times we don’t see that. And even in the council’s budget reviews when we come up with this, I don’t think the council does as good a job as they should in tackling the review of each department’s budget process. We get three days. And let me tell you, we’re whipped by the end of two days. And there’s only in my experience anyway since I’ve been on the council, there have been several department’s that have done very well in budget reviews or in presentations to us. And other departments I would just have not done the job. And to mention I think, Darryl Oliveira in the Fire Department, that certainly, if you’ve ever seen his budget process, at least the ones he’s presented the past couple of years, I think those are outstanding. My questions are answered if I read what he gives me and if I ask him a couple of questions, I walk away feeling he’s at least told me where his priorities are and where he’s going in the next year. I don’t get that from every department. That’s just me. I don’t know what others have. But in answer to your initial question, I think the departments should set the priorities and move ahead on this and decide how that’s going to look. And then it’s up to the council to decide and to try to work with the administration cooperatively, and then see whether we shouldn’t have, don’t forget we do have public hearings, theoretically. And that’s supposed to elicit the public response. By Charter we have to do that if I’m not mistaken. MR. TAKABA: I’m sorry, I missed part of it. The three level budget, is it a three level budget review or three level … 12