|
Counties serve a unique dual role in Minnesota’s government
structure.
-
Counties are a local government unit meeting the needs of the
community.
As such, counties are responsible for maintaining
roads, managing land records, securing public safety, handling solid
waste, preserving the environment, and responding to the general
needs of citizens.
-
Counties also serve as an administrative arm of the state by
providing services on its behalf.
The
bulk of these state services are delivered by county human services,
public health, environmental services and, in some cases, probation
departments. While some of these services are funded by the state,
often, counties are asked to levy local property taxes to pay for
these important services. Some services are entitlements while
others are discretionary.
-
County officials are extremely concerned that the current
county/state relationship is not sustainable.
Arguably, counties and county property tax payers have been used as
the state’s ATM to pay for services for which the state is unwilling
or unable to pay for from its own coffers.
-
County officials believe that the broken relationship results in
inequities and inefficiencies that are actually damaging to citizens.
Minnesota counties and the state must have a shared vision for our
future to be effective partners. Without a shared vision, the
partnership will remain fractured and dysfunctional. State and
local officials and citizens are encouraged to work with county
officials to meet the challenges of a new era of government.
The three fundamental
goals
for government and its service delivery systems:
-
Governance:
Just like the governor and legislators, county
commissioners sign election certificates and pledge to carry out the
laws of the state. It is imperative that county officials be
given the authority to make decisions that most affect their
counties and communities. Success in governance means clear
responsibilities and outcomes for state and local government;
holding state and local officials accountable to their respective
constituencies; delivering services at the level of government that
can be most effective; and turning the Legislature’s focus on
outcomes rather than inputs.
-
Transparency:
The relationship
between the state and counties as well as the
governing process need to be more transparent. The foundations
for successful transparency must be trust; implementation of open
decision-making processes with guaranteed public participation; and
use of clear and convincing evidence as the basis for policy
decisions. State legislators and the state administrators must
trust counties to carry out the delivery of services that meet the
intended outcomes. It is not acceptable for the state to
transfer costs to counties without presenting clear and convincing
evidence that the costs should be a county taxpayer responsibility.
The legal representation costs for parents in CHIPS cases and the
short-term offender program are examples of how the state transfers
its budget responsibility to counties without a convincing rationale
for doing so, and without consideration of the impacts.
-
Flexibility:
Thomas Jefferson described local government as the laboratory of
democracy. State legislators must give local governments the
space needed to be innovators. Success in flexibility means
that service delivery is tailored to meet local needs; policymakers
focus on outcomes not solely the management of inputs; and the
creation of incentives for innovations and efficiencies. Local
government officials are in the best position to understand the
unique local communities they represent. Given the appropriate
tools to do the job, local officials are in the best position to
meet the goals, objectives and outcomes envisioned by the state.
Maintenance
of effort (MOE) requirements impair county flexibility.
Arbitrary decisions by the Legislature and state departments,
whether it is an MOE for public libraries, chemical dependency, or
mental health, reduce the ability of county boards to make decisions
that are in the best interest of their communities, constituents and
the people being served.
|
