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How to Target and Communicate Efficiency Presented by: Diana Smith, Dir. Business Development

Today’s Roundtable. Operations & Budgeting in the Tax Cap Era. How to Target and Communicate Efficiency Presented by: Diana Smith, Dir. Business Development MRB Group Connie Sowards, Project Manager Strategic Municipal Initiatives Project. Aying it!. Local Government.

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How to Target and Communicate Efficiency Presented by: Diana Smith, Dir. Business Development

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  1. Today’s Roundtable Operations & Budgeting in the Tax Cap Era How to Target and Communicate Efficiency Presented by: Diana Smith, Dir. Business Development MRB Group Connie Sowards, Project Manager Strategic Municipal Initiatives Project

  2. Aying it! Local Government Local government is - the best form of government! • Closest to the people • Most responsive • Most participation / citizen involvement • Most accountable • Most efficient!

  3. Why is this a Secret? No one’s saying it! Municipal officials are so busy doing their job… …that they forget to tell residents what they’ve done!

  4. Taxpayer frustration Increasing costs State mandates Fewer funding resources Finger-pointing! Today’s Roundtable Other Challenges

  5. Disconnect. Today’s Roundtable Municipal Challenges

  6. Every community needs a core “nucleus” of trustworthy information and communication. Fact-based Non-political Understandable Foundation Today’s Roundtable Municipal Toolkits

  7. Community/Government 101 Operational Efficiency Asset Management Community Development Today’s Roundtable Municipal Toolkits

  8. Training tool for Board members and staff Education for residents “State of the Community” message Justification for Board action Justification for budget decisions Analysis tool for budget review Capital project / planning aid Trust-building Today’s Roundtable Municipal Toolkits

  9. Community/Government 101 Operational Efficiency Asset Management Community Development Today’s Roundtable Municipal Toolkits

  10. Demographics / Critical Info Public Info Tools DRAGNET Today’s Roundtable Community / Gov 101

  11. The numbers – baselines for operations Analysis tools Decision making tools future budgets improvements/efficiencies Today’s Roundtable Operational Efficiency

  12. Understanding what you have – and what it will cost to maintain… Today’s Roundtable Asset Management • Strategic thinking rather than reactionary response • Troubleshooting / identifying problem areas • Workflow associated with maintenance and operations

  13. The character of the community Vision for the future Litmus test for all decision-making Municipal board Planning board ZBA Today’s Roundtable Community Development

  14. Surprisingly missing Versatile tool Mitigates redundancy Fosters communication Addresses the disconnect Today’s Roundtable Community / Government

  15. Demographics / critical info Population, history, trend Characteristics Geographic Staff composition Average assessment Last gen. assessment / valuation 100%? Percent of tax-exempt properties Major employers Today’s Roundtable Community / Government What’s in the “C/G 101” Toolkit:

  16. Today’s Roundtable Community / Government What’s in the “C/G 101” Toolkit: • Budget process / definitions • Annual budget / funds • Tax rate • How tax rate calculated • Debt service • Bond rating • Reserve accounts • Revenue • State aid • Impact examples • Static operating costs

  17. “How Do We Compare…?” With our past? Tax rate Projects completed With other communities? Tax rate Assessments Services provided Cost of government services Today’s Roundtable Community / Government What’s in the “C/G 101” Toolkit: Empire Center for New York State Policy, a project of the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, http://seethroughny.net/benchmarking-ny/#/

  18. Services & policies Who does what Limitations / rules How to answer Budget impacts by service Contacts Today’s Roundtable Community / Government What’s in the “C/G 101” Toolkit:

  19. Today’s Roundtable Simple But Powerful What does the “C/G 101” Toolkit do for municipalities?

  20. Baseline from which you measure Allows focus on efficiency Puts everyone on the same page: Understanding the community Complexity – knowing what CAN change Allows you to assess feasibility Keeps the factual history / tracks effectiveness of efforts Today’s Roundtable Positioning for Efficiency

  21. The “atomic” level breakdown: the skill set analysis NOT a staff development tool Assessment by management Identifies underutilized skills Identifies skill shortages • Fresh-eyes: rethinking everything • Focus on the indisputable facts Today’s Roundtable Operational Efficiency What’s in the “OE” Toolkit:

  22. The “atomic” level breakdown: the employee cost analysis NOT a staff development tool Assessment by management Quantifies / defines hourly cost Includes ancillary costs – no more speculation • Fresh-eyes: rethinking everything • Focus on the indisputable facts Today’s Roundtable Operational Efficiency What’s in the “OE” Toolkit:

  23. The “atomic” level breakdown: the work-hour analysis – by position NOT a staff development tool Assessment by management Position-based, informal time study Prospective estimating - workload Retrospective logs - history • Flexibility is the key to using this tool. The exercise is as valuable as the finished product. Today’s Roundtable Operational Efficiency What’s in the “OE” Toolkit:

  24. Today’s Roundtable Simple But Powerful What does the “OE” Toolkit do for municipalities?

  25. Allows critical calculations Cost of services Underutilized staff are identified Overtime drivers identified Allows focus on efficiency Allows you to assess alternatives / costs Allows for calculated response to changing requirements Today’s Roundtable Positioning for Efficiency

  26. Improves decision-making in budget process Informed Justified Simplifies public education piece Today’s Roundtable Positioning for Efficiency

  27. The enemy of local government efficiency is… … misunderstanding and misinformation. Today’s Roundtable Positioning for Efficiency

  28. Communication and Education Today’s Roundtable Effective Leadership

  29. Community / Gov 101 • Operational Efficiency Today’s Roundtable Get the Word Out Newsletter Water Bill “Facts” Tax Bill Flyer (enclosure) Website Counter Handout State of the Community Address Budget Cover Sheets Press Campaign - Newsworthy Community Meeting Periodic Progress Reports Board Meeting Agenda Item

  30. BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE: • Let Them Know: • They’re part of your team – and your greatest assets! Today’s Roundtable Get the Word Out Talk to staff / employees!!! The focus on efficiency and tax savings is not anti-employee. It’s an opportunity to: Educate the public about their value Justify their compensation rate Set the record straight (!) Hopefully make their job easier

  31. It’s all Based on • Communication! Aying it! Local Government Local government is - the best form of government! • Closest to the people • Most responsive • Most participation / citizen involvement • Most accountable • Most efficient!

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