Agenda - 11-03-1999 - 9f - Laserfiche WebLink

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10 County Expenditures -- Schools. The school systems, for example, consume the greatest amount of County funds in relation to other areas of the County budget. The Committee is deeply concerned, therefore, about future trends in expenditures. If these trends continue at the same rate in the future, pressure to increase the total County budget (and by implication, the County tax rate) will place an even greater burden on those County citizens already bearing a heavy tax load. Because each school system reports to a different authority (School Board), our review does not encompass the schools' operating budgets. However, it is important to note that the County's per pupil expenditure for current expense has increased in the past five years from $1,310 per pupil to $1,571 per pupil, a total per pupil increase of 20 percent. The total amount appropriated for school current expense has increased by $6.3 million, a 42 percent increase over that same five year period. Furthermore, the County has invested an average of $8.5 million per year in capital improvements and debt service of funds borrowed for school improvements, over the past five years. While the Committee recognizes growth in student population over the past few years, it also believes that based on current growth projections by the State Department of Public Instruction through the year 2002 that Orange County has (within its existing structures) the buildings to accommodate that growth. The Committee recommends, therefore, that careful consideration be given to all viable alternatives before investing more funds in capital projects. The Committee also recommends that the Board of Commissioners encourage the Boards of Education to employ a similar kind of "in depth" innovation and efficiency analysis to identify potential savings within the school systems. Although we recognize that the Commissioners have little direct say over school expenditures, we do feel that their expertise and influence in such matters is invaluable. County Expenditures - -Human Services and Outside Organizations. The Committee also looked at other trends in County spending, particularly in areas of Human Services and financial support to outside organizations. Together with school spending, the overall increases in expenditures point to the need for a more systematic means of analyzing trends in spending. Because this kind of analysis is so important for all participants (elected officials, program staff, and citizens) we feel that the County should develop a formal capacity for program and trend analysis. Such analysis could be updated annually, would provide quick access to credible and useful data, and could flag or highlight unusual spending patterns. Moreover, the analysis would provide other useful "indicators" related to the history or background of expenditure trends and thereby help to discern the basis for such spending. Evaluate Future Success. Finally, the Committee believes that the core of the Committee's recommendations embody essential tools for crafting major efficiency and cost savings. We recommend, therefore, that the Commissioners allow these tools to be put to work as soon as possible. We also believe that because of everyone's hard work and investment in the innovation and efficiency process, we would like to measure our aggregate success by reconvening in six to eight months. At that time, the Committee could determine the progress made thus far, and offer any guidance for continued success. 3