To: Honorable Members of the Legislature

From: Cindy Locklear, Kathy Konst & Michele Iannello

Date: March 19, 2006

Re: Reform Agenda

I. REFORM CATEGORIES

• TRANSPARENCY
• ACCOUNTABILITY
• BEST PRACTICES
• FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY
• STRUCTURAL OVERHAUL

II. TRANSPARENCY

A. Mission Statement. Design a Government that is ‘user-friendly’, open, accessible and understandable to the constituency, utilizing easily deployed 21st Century tools and technology. Shift the paradigm from “Cant” to “Can Do”.

B. Initiatives.

1. Periodic Evening Sessions (Matrix # 148, BNP Report):
2. Conduct Occasional “Off-Site” Sessions (Iannello):
3. Scan and Publish Bi-Weekly Agendas/Items on Erie.gov (Locklear):
   • Include in full, Items approved and Items assigned to committee;
   • Include first page of all Items “received and filed”
   • Publication to occur by noon on Friday following each Session;
4. Scan and Publish Legislative Voting Records/Results and Session Minutes on Erie.gov (Locklear):
   • Publish by noon on Friday following each Session
   • Report by Item presented for consideration including Narrative Description of Item and Item designation code
   • Project Session Agenda’s via PowerPoint on the Floor during Sessions (Konst):
5. “Easy to See and Follow” (Visible) Amendment Tracking (May require change to LegRules: Locklear):
6. Restructure Agenda Format (Locklear): Set forth all Items for Approval at Session (other than committee reports), under separate category and Conduct the Discussion and vote on such Items separate from all “as noted” Items.
7. Require all operative collective bargaining agreements to be posted in full on erie.gov.
8. Line by Line examination of each County Department at the rate of one or two departments per quarter, to continue for next two years.
9. Investigate Creating a “Taxpayers’ Savings Account” to track all tangible cost savings derived from Reforms and Initiatives.
10. Periodic Evening Issue-Specific “Town Hall” Meetings. (Iannello)
11. Strengthen Legislative Subpoena Powers (BNP PFMO @ 212; not in 4YrPlan).
12. Support a Rational “Automated Resolution Filing” (BNP “PFMO @ 262”; Matrix #80/V2 of 4YearPlan).
    • Codify Anti “PORK” Prohibitions: (Discussed in Full in BNP @154+; 212/13.

III. ACCOUNTABILITY

A. Mission Statement. We are cognizant of the voters’ frustration with government. The frustration is borne by a feeling of powerlessness over elected officials once elected and the overwhelming power yielded by ‘the system’. The remedies we envision will keep elected officials mindful of their fiduciary duties and respectful of the power of the people they serve.

B. Initiatives.

1. Legislative Terms and Term Limits (Iannello, Locklear, Konst);
   • Institute staggered FOUR YEAR TERMS; with A TWO CONSECUTIVE TERM LIMIT, mandatory TWO YEAR BREAK between runs;
2. Recall by Referendum (Iannello, Locklear, Konst);
3. Performance Based Executive Budget Standards (Peter Reese, CRC Member);
   • Solicitation Disclosures by Legislators during votes (Peter Reese, CRC Member/Locklear).

IV. BEST PRACTICES

A. Mission Statement. Every organization whether it be in government, private industry or charity, runs best when it runs smart. While government does not share the profit objective of the business sector, successful methods of operation, performance monitoring and management are translatable to the running of a smart governmental organization. Operationally, the County can be viewed as a $1.1Billion organization. Here we set forth various initiatives for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of running the business of government.

1. Develop Guidelines governing the Legislature’s promulgation of Local Laws similar in function to the NY Rulemaking Procedures under the “State Administrative Procedures Act” (May require Charter Revision: Locklear):
2. VerifyNY Resolution (Iannello, Konst, Locklear): To be tracked on Spreadsheet.
3. CountyStat Initiative (PFM recommendation; on Matrix) One of the ‘visible’ metrics here is to reduce Sick Leave.
4. Centralization of Real Property Valuation, Assessment and Appraisal at County Level: retain assessment appeals and customer interface at Town Levels;
5. WorkersComp Reform: Investigate prototype “Injury/Recovery Management Practice System such as developed by EmployerCare, Inc. (Iannello Constituent).
6. Restructure Legislative Staffing; provide for Professional Municipal Budget Analyst INVESTIGATE ECFSA GRANT FUNDING (BNP “PFMO @5+; 211; Not addressed in 4YrPlan.) Findings of the BNP included:
7. Establish an “Employee Incentive Program.”
8. Institute “Lean Management” Practices (Konst).

V. FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY

A. Mission Statement. Championing a balanced budget requires timely, accurate and digestible information from the Administration. This Body of Reforms targets the laxities and decentralized practices and other questionable ventures that are at part to blame for the county’s fiscal crisis.

B. Initiatives.

1. Long and Short Term Debt Analysis (Adopted on 2/14)
2. “Debt Diet” New Debt Restrictions (BNP@6);
3. Request a “’Benchmarks and Comparative Standards Study (Comptroller??) to investigate and analyze County Employee compensation, benefits and work rules to norms experienced in private sector for the WNY Region (Locklear):
4. Resolution to require identification of all managerial confidential positions to identify by name, comp, bennies etc. (Locklear to do).
5. Resolution to Require an Administrative accounting of all County Contracts awarded under DPW for Capital Projects since 2000 (Locklear to do):
6. Amend 2005 Wroblewski Resolution Regarding Elimination of Vacant Positions .
7. Marinelli/Whyte Grant Audit Resolution (Track on our Spreadsheet)
8. Smith Mid Year Budget Hearing Resolution (Track on our Spreadsheet)
9. Prepare Legislative Response/Companion to the Giambra ‘State Assist Letter/PennyShare’ letter dated 10Feb06.
10. Champion various Matrix initiatives via Committees (in Process per Marinelli)
11. Resolution to Commissioners/Dept. Heads requesting feedback on “Field Perspectives” of “Unfunded Surreptitious Mandates” (Locklear):
12. Join the ECFSA request to make ECMCC a “Covered Organization” Under ECFSA jurisdiction.
13. Request a Comptroller’s Audit of the Homeland Security Funds from beginning to present.
14. Request State Comptroller’s Audit of Erie Tobacco Asset Securitization Corp.
15. REVENUE CREATION (Alternatives to Tax increases)

VI. STRUCTURAL OVERHAUL (Charter Review)

A. Mission Statement. There are alternative forms of County Government to that practiced by Erie County. Prior to 1961 a Board of Supervisors governed Erie County. Our current 2Branch System attempts to balance an elective lawmaking body in harmony with an elected and powerful County Executive. These Past and Present formats represent the polar extremes of the continuum. Between these two nodes lies the field of alternatives. This section of the Action Plan considers this alternative field.

B. The Field:

• County Manager reporting to a County Exec and Legislature. (See CRC recommendation dated 2/16/06 and BNP Report of 12/25)
• County Manager reporting to a Board of Supervisors. Legislature to be replaced by Board of Supervisors made up of town supervisors, city mayors and the 9 member Buffalo City Council (weighted voting to protect ‘one man, one vote’)
• County Manager reporting to a Full Time Legislature.

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