Ohio Metropolitan Chambers of Commerce Call for a Redesign of Ohio Government
We cannot cut $6-8 billion of state spending and still have the same schools, the same local governments, the same highways, the same health care, the same prisons. Likewise, we cannot raise taxes by $6-8 billion and still have the same economy, the same jobs. - Redesigning Ohio
Noting that their work is meant to challenge the status-quo process
that has led to the inefficient, unsustainable situation we face today, eight Ohio metropolitan chambers, including the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce, have joined with the Ohio Chamber of Commerce to recommend ways that the state can transform government for the 21st Century.
Chief among the recommendations in
Redesigning Ohio: Transforming Government into a 21st Century Institution[1] is that Ohio move away from its traditional budgeting mindset to
Budgeting for Outcomes, literally providing the services citizens really want at a price they are willing to pay.
The report calls for comprehensive change and new thinking across nine other areas of state government to upgrade what is termed, Ohio's antiquated operating system but does not portend to be a
"silver bullet." While estimating that suggested reforms could save nearly $1.4 billion in FY 2012-2013, the emphasis of the report remains on system improvements that could take years to fully implement. The chambers suggest
Budgeting for Outcomes be implemented as follows:
- Office of Budget and Management (OBM) works with the Governor and agency leaders to designate leading agency outcome goals and rank major state programs, from most to least cost-effective, in the development of the FY 2012-2013 state operating budget.
- In FY 2012, OBM leads inclusive effort to develop program performance measures for each major state program.
- Fully implement Budgeting for Outcomes in FY 2014-2015, which will include broader stakeholder outreach efforts designed to inform the budget development and budget prioritization process.[2]
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[1] http://chambernews.org/2010/12/21/redesigning-ohio-transforming-government-into-a-231st-century-institution/
[2] p. 13