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Blog
The employees in the Fiscal Management Division of the Department of Administration are highly focused on monitoring limited state resources and ensuring that every penny of our budget is used as intended. Indeed, they are so good at what they do that I am no longer surprised when they catch errors or make suggestions that save money.
I was surprised, however, when I learned that one of my staff saved a life this week. Accountant Tracy Howell had been in Durham for an evening activity. She recalled passing a gentleman on the street who seemed to be trying to stay out of the sun. After the meeting, she observed him again – unconscious and sprawled on the sidewalk.
Accompanied by her father, they approached the man, who was unresponsive. She called 911 and was asked to check if he had a pulse, which he did not. Police and Fire & Rescue soon arrived and performed CPR for about 10 minutes, finally reviving him.
After the fellow was taken by ambulance for additional treatment, Tracy was told that had she not taken the time to stop and call 911, the man likely would not have survived.
On behalf of Tracy’s colleagues at Fiscal Management and all of the Department of Administration, we thank her for demonstrating the humanity and care to which we all should aspire.
With the short session of the General Assembly a little over a month away, Gov. Perdue plans to announce her budget for the second year of the biennium in two weeks. The governor has been hands-on and deliberative during the rigorous budget development process as the state continues to tighten its belt during this tough economy. Gov. Perdue’s budget will reflect her priorities of job creation and economic development, education, setting government straight and public safety.
We’ve all been hearing about how the state is looking for new ways to increase efficiency and reduce spending. We’ve been urged to think big – but here at Management Information Systems (MIS), we’ve discovered that even thinking small can yield substantial savings while making once-burdensome tasks simpler.
For example, one of our Divisions had relied on an outdated method of processing routine data. In fact, it had become so old that it was necessary to have two computers on one employee’s desk, one of which functioned solely to operate the program. As soon as we discovered this, our team drafted a simple program to collect, update and distribute the same information, making the extra computer unnecessary.
Cutting $70 a month in computer fees, or $840 each year, may not sound like much when you consider the entire state budget. But we also eliminated an entire server recently when it, too, was deemed unnecessary. The savings there could be as much as $4,000 annually.
In lean times, every opportunity to reduce expenditures could mean a job or program saved from elimination. MIS is dedicated to continue to working with Department of Administration Divisions to identify ways to improve technology services while reducing associated costs.
North Carolina is in the midst of its greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression. As families and businesses across our state are tightening their belts to make ends meet, government must do the same. But, in the process, we must not neglect the state’s most pressing needs.
My proposed biennial budget makes strategic investments to create jobs and increases overall per student spending, while ensuring that North Carolina state government lives within its means.
The budget will close a cumulative budget gap of $6.4 billion over two years, with the estimated shortfall totaling $3.4 billion in year one of the budget and $3.0 billion in year two.
The budget contains $2.6 billion in spending reductions, $1.3 billion in each year.
The budget utilizes $2.9 billion of federal recovery monies to support education and other mission-critical services over the biennium.
And it recommends targeted revenue changes totaling $1.3 billion over two years, designed to protect education and help offset healthcare costs associated with the use of tobacco products and alcohol.
Most programs face reduced or level funding compared to the current fiscal year. However, despite the difficult road we face, we must continue making progress in areas that are core to North Carolina’s values. That is why my budget recommendations focus on:
• Growing North Carolina’s Economy
• Improving Public Education
• Keeping Higher Education Accessible and Affordable
• Protecting Our Most Vulnerable Citizens
• Keeping Our Communities Safe
• Making Government More Efficient and Accountable
• Fiscal Responsibility
Click here to read the entire budget.
Today we launched www.NCRecovery.gov to ensure that North Carolina’s handling of the federal recovery funds is accountable, transparent and efficient. That’s what Governor Perdue charged me to do when she put me in charge of the Office of Economic Recovery and Investment.
On the website you can find information about the recovery legislation and how it affects North Carolina. And you will be getting the most up-to-date information on how that money is being spent in North Carolina.
As federal agencies release their guidelines for the distribution of funds and accountability requirements, we will be updating the NCrecovery.gov so you can see the latest information. Eventually you will be able to suggest projects for funding, find out how to apply for grants or contracts and you can track how North Carolina is spending its recovery dollars.
The recovery plan offers a great opportunity for us create jobs, stabilize our budget and rebuild and expand our infrastructure – but only we spend the money wisely – and the best way to ensure that is to be accountable, transparent and efficient.
Governor Perdue was in Washington, DC this weekend for the meeting of the National Governors Association. Most of the weekend was dedicated to discussing the federal stimulus package, the policies surrounding the management of those federal funds and the impact of the stimulus plan on the 50 states.
In addition to meeting with the 50 state governors, Governor Perdue went to two events at the White House with President Obama. They discussed the economic stimulus package, and President Obama assured Governor Perdue that the money would begin to come to North Carolina as soon as this week.
It was good to hear the President and Gov. Perdue stressing the same themes: transparency, accountability and efficiency.
I traveled with the Governor and met with Chiefs of Staff from around the country. We discussed the economic and budget issues in our states, how we’re managing the stimulus dollars, and disaster preparedness, among other things.
ABC11 has the story of Governor Perdue at the White House:
As President Barack Obama today signed into law the federal stimulus bill, we are preparing to receive those funds and I am determined to put that money to use as quickly and as effectively as possible.
To aid the effort, I am creating the Office of Economic Recovery & Investment which will coordinate and track North Carolina’s handling of the stimulus funds. I am also naming Dempsey Benton to head this office.
Dempsey is a well respected manager and civic leader. He is a former Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Deputy Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and was the City Manager of Raleigh for 17 years. Dempsey’s service at DHHS is particularly notable for his efforts to restore stability and organization to the department and his leadership of the troubled state mental health system.
The federal stimulus package provides about $6.1 billion in direct aid to North Carolina, with other money coming in the form of grants, tax cuts and other funding. That will create jobs and help rebuild and expand the state’s critical infrastructure at the same time.
I will ensure strict accountability in how the money is spent. Dempsey Benton will lead this temporary office, and will be assisted by my staff, as well as designated representatives from various state agencies.
The Governor’s Economic Recovery and Investment Office will have the following duties:
• Track all federal dollars flowing into state and local governments as well as to private businesses and non-profit organizations.
• Maximize the state’s use of available federal stimulus funds.
• Identify the most rapid ways to move the stimulus money into the economy and remove regulatory and other impediments.
• Establish open and effective lines of communication with federal and state agencies, local governments and North Carolina’s Congressional delegation to assist in efforts to effectively and rapidly use the federal stimulus funds.
• Develop a communications network, using a variety of tools including the Internet, to keep the public informed about the status and progress of the recovery effort, along with funding opportunities.
• Report to the General Assembly and the citizens on a regular basis about the status of the use of the stimulus funds, including federal, state and other non-federal money.
• Measure progress of the recovery effort by tracking the state’s economic condition.
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