2006-03-02 Cost of Government Commission Minutes

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County tries to make government be responsible to what it is all about. Should there be a cap in what the County spends every year? And what happens with the money —how should the County treat it if there are revenue projections beyond this cap? He does not want the County to be in a predicament like the other counties. He takes very seriously what he promises and will do everything to gain the Commission's trust. If the Commission finds out something that is contradictory to what he has promised the public, he wants to know about it. Mr. Sakaguchi said he will be worried if the Commission starts to look at social problems, as he feels it is the responsibility of the elected officials and the Council members to deal with issues such as the proposals on handling waste. He believes the Commission's focus should be on existing operations, not on future operations. He is interested in hearing everyone's perspective, as their task is very big and if they should not have to worry about the problems that may come up in the future. The Mayor's response: He doesn't mean to be disagreeable, but he believes they are one and the same. If the objectives of a department are spelled out, and the Commission finds out that the department is spending money in areas that don't meet its objectives, he wants to know about it. That is the Commission's task. If the commissioners discover things that are contradictory to the law or are not prudent, he needs to know. That is what the Commission is for. As a scenario, if they should feel that a department is not going through the proper procedures in hiring consultants or contractors, they need to report that. If the County has been prudent in picking the best consultants, they also need to report that. Mr. Sakaguchi voiced concern that the Commission stick to being a review body and not become another decision - making body. The Mayor has the responsibility of making decisions, but if the Commission can help him make better decisions, that is the goal. He said he appreciates the Mayor's vision on trust but said that there is a problem with department heads. He disagrees with focusing primarily on the bigger departments and stated his hope that they will look at different issues such as privatization or other philosophical approaches to government. Mr. Joseph said he had no questions, thanked the Mayor for appointing him, and said he hoped they would have a worthwhile report. In closing, the Mayor stated that he just wants to make sure the County is spending its money wisely, fairly, and prudently, and he needs the Commission's help to do that. The Mayor left for the Commission six recent updates in response to Dixie Kaetsu's memo to departments about what has been done to comply with the prior Commission's recommendations. Reports were received from the Office of Aging, the Office of the Corporation Counsel, the Office of the County Clerk, the Finance Department, the Fire Department, the Office of Housing and Community Development, and the Mass Transit Agency. Also included was a letter dated March 17, 2003, from the Department of Parks and Recreation to the prior Commission. 53