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BE S T P RAC T I C E S


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certain services to the citizens of their county. No one will know better than they what is or is not a vital and mandated service of their office. Te County Judge and Quorum Court Finance Committee should meet regularly with the county officials during budget time. Te county officials deserve the inclusion and they will be helpful in solving budget problems.


• Hold general communication meet-


ings for the employees during budget times – especially during years that budgets are on the chopping block. Tis is a job for the County Judge or even better a collaborative effort of the County Judge and other officials if at all pos- sible. Hold meetings routinely. Even if there is little new information, employees appreciate hearing the status of the budget from those in charge. Start a blog where any employee can write in with any question and receive a frank answer. Trust is a great motivator.


• The Quorum Court should receive


updated pertinent financial information early and often during the budget process. Te infor- mation provided to the Justices should contain a detailed outline of budget reduction options – including some that


may be difficult for them to consider. With budget reductions, time clearly does not heal the problem, but time certainly has the beauty of giving the Court and the Administration an opportunity to really understand each budget reduction option in detail, including thinking through the often unintended consequences. Time also allows the opportunity to tackle issues that you previously never thought could be ac- complished with the community.


• For the community, a communica-


tions plan should be developed that engages the local newspaper editorial staff and reporters. Consistently provide information to the news- paper staff – and hold meetings with them to gain their perspective and gain their trust in the process. Write and provide them a comprehen- sive guest editorial on options considered. Simi- larly, the local radio and TV stations should be engaged.


Is it really that important to make so much


work out of both cutting the budget and com- municating the results? Te answer is a resound- ing “YES” and here’s why: the respectful way to engage employees is to tell them you respect their thoughts and ideas. When you hold meetings with employees asking what cost reduction ideas they have and what processes they would change you’ll learn something. I don’t care how long you’ve been in county govern- ment – you’ll learn something from the employees and you’ll use some of their ideas.


In addition to getting solid cost cutting ideas that can be imple- mented, this process of communica- tion quells rumors. Tere is little more destructive to morale and productivity


than uninformed employees endlessly dis- cussing the negative outcomes of the budget


cuts.


Te other benefit to increased communica- tion is that the officials, the Quorum Court and the community will have the same information as the employees. And that will help the county reach an acceptance of the cuts among its em- ployees and its public.


In the budget cutting process always ap-


proach cuts on a “priority basis”. Tere is a lighthouse that beams a light to give you guid- ance. It is Arkansas Code Annotated 14-14- 802. Te first part of that law provides a list


COUNTY LINES, SUMMER 2011


of things that a county “must” provide followed by a section that lists the things a county “may” provide. Start the cuts in the “may” section.


I have always said that a county’s first prior- ity is people. County government is not only about the people served – but, it is also about the people who provide that service. Te man- dated services talked about in A.C.A. 14-14-802 have to be performed by county officials and county employees. So, as you move ahead with planning, visioning, and budgeting and you in- ventory your county’s resources, begin by count- ing the county employees as your county’s most important resource.


First and foremost don’t go for the quick, easy


fix to budget problems! More times than not that type of fix simply puts off the inevitable and actually causes more and bigger problems. Te current economic downtown may simply have exacerbated your county’s failure to recognize an on-going financial structural deficit. Addressing the current fiscal challenge can be done cor- rectly, or it can be accomplished in the short- term without regard for long-term unintended consequences.


Hopefully your county will identify and make the requisite structural financial and bud- get changes to prevent the same fiscal challenges from happening again and again and again. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was right when he said, “It takes less time to do a thing right than to explain why you did it wrong.” Take the time to create a realistic budget – a budget based on real numbers. In the budget process you need both efficiency and effectiveness. Efficiency is doing things right. Effectiveness is doing the right things.


“Many attempts to communicate are nulli-


fied by saying too much”, according to Robert Greenleaf – so, I’ll conclude by simply saying, Communication is the driver for the county budget process. Communicate early and often, especially in the worst of times. Your employees and the community will be the better for it.


Eddie Jones of Pocahontas served as Randolph


County Treasurer from 1981 until taking the reins as AAC Executive Director in 2007; he retired that post in mid-2010. Readers can reach him at: e.jonesconsulting@gmail.com


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