Time for change Reorganization good for state

Starting this week and going on into the next few months—and probably years—you’ll be hearing a lot about the transformation of your state government. And that’s a good thing.

This is long overdue. In fact, the last major reform of Arkansas state government took place back in 1972— nearly 50 years ago. Since that time, state government has ballooned to more than 40 cabinet agencies and hundreds of boards and commissions—the latter of which, in many cases, have operated on an island with limited support.

That’s not an efficient government, and the time for change is now.

Transforming how your government works—and how much it costs—is a big goal of Gov. Asa Hutchinson. Under his direction, the governor’s Transformation Advisory Board has developed a detailed agency reorganization plan that will bear big dividends for both state government and the Arkansas taxpayer.

In short, Arkansas is a relatively high-tax environment. Being better stewards of tax dollars by reducing the cost of government provides the opportunity to lower taxes benefiting all Arkansans and will serve to make our state a more attractive place to invest, live, work, play and stay.

On Wednesday, the governor announced that he intends to reduce the number of cabinet agencies from 42 to 15. In addition, some 200 smaller boards and commissions will no longer be out on their own and will instead benefit from the operational efficiencies of larger organizations. As a result, instead of relying solely on small staffs, these smaller boards and commissions will have access to broader administrative support. This change will undoubtedly improve the delivery of services, saving the state money and the taxpayer time—not to mention the fact that it will eliminate unnecessary and duplicative processes that have plagued state government for decades.

Another way the governor is making state government more efficient is by establishing the Department of Transformation and Shared Services. This change will greatly improve management control throughout state government by allowing all state agencies, boards, and commissions to utilize shared services such as IT and HR.

Here’s one way to think about state government as it exists currently: No one ever sat down and drew state government up to look the way it looks today. Beyond the branches of government established under the Constitution of our state, there isn’t much in the way of organization. Instead, our state government today is a collection of agencies, departments, boards, commissions, task forces, etc., etc. Each was created for a good reason at the time, but none according to a broader plan or design. Most are on their own and, to some extent, all are created equal. No matter how big or how small, each is responsible for certain administrative functions—like who they hire or what they buy or the hours they keep. Inevitably, some are pretty good at it. And some are not. Some are well-run and efficient in their use of the taxpayers’ dollars. Others could use some help.

This plan provides that help. Under the governor’s transformation plan, the state will emphasize efficiencies in the administrative costs associated with running government. The emphasis will be on smart, well-designed government, one that always tries to do more with less. At the same time, the services the state provides will not change. What the governor is promising is a leaner, more efficient government.

In the coming weeks, you’ll be hearing a lot about transformation of your state government. You might hear some grumbling or complaints. But as we move forward with the plan, you’ll also be hearing some happy cheers from the folks who benefit most—the people of our state.

Madison Murphy of El Dorado is chairman of the board for Murphy USA. He led the Arkansas Policy Foundation’s Murphy Commission project in the late 1990s, which studied, in detail, the functions of Arkansas state government and developed recommendations for a smaller, more cost-effective government.