NC News:Governor Beverly Perdue Announce Her Plan to Restructure NC Government

Facing a growing budget deficit (current estimates are a 3.7 billion dollar budget gap) Governor Beverly Perdue released today her plan to re-structure state government. Here goal is to “streamline state government and save money”.
Speaking in Pinehurst to several area chambers of commerce, Governor Perdue stated that she is proposing a hiring freeze in state government, the elimination of support functions such as human resources, and the consolidation of several state agencies.

The proposal for consolidating agencies would take state government from 14 agencies down to 8 agencies.

Here are some of the details of the governor’s proposal:
-Consolidate the departments of Juvenile Justice, Correction and Crime Control and Public Safety will merge and become one Department of Public Safety.
-Department of Commerce will absorb the Employment Security Commission.
-Department of Administration will change to the Department of Management and Administration and will take up the tasks of chief operations unit for state government, absorb information technology, the Office of State Personnel and the controllers office.
-Privatization of purchasing function and IT consolidation through a different private company.
-Human Resources would move out of state government to a private company, as part of the outsourcing of state functions.
-Hiring freeze in all cabinet agencies. The governor also called on members of the Council of State to follow her lead and freeze all hiring of non critical positions.
-Governor Perdue will also present to lawmakers a list of 150 state boards and commissions that could be eliminated. North Carolina currently operates 400 state boards and commissions.

NC News:Under the Dome Reports A Bigger Budget Deficit Looms for NC General Assembly

Today the National Conference on State Legislators released a report detailing that budget problems will persist over the next three years for many states. The News and Observer, Under the Dome offers this budget picture for North Carolina based on the NCSL report.

Bigger budget hole

Submitted by lbonner on 2010-12-08 10:39
Tags: Under the Dome | Bev Perdue | budget | legislature | National Conference of State Legislatures

Is it $3.2 billion? $3.5?

The budget hole state politicians will look to fill next year may be bigger than commonly reported.
A new report from the National Conference of State Legislatures on budget conditions in the 50 states and Puerto Rico puts the hole North Carolina is facing at more than $3.8 billion, or 20.3 percent of current budget. NCSL collected information for its report from legislative fiscal offices.


In North Carolina, you start at $3.2 billion, which comes from the loss of federal stimulus money and the expiration of temporary state sales taxes and income tax surcharges.

Here's the rest:
In addition to the previously reported gap estimate of $3.2 billion is an increase of $300 million for the state retirement system, $181.6 million for the health plan for state employees and retirees and $164 million of education enrollment growth ($34 million for community colleges, $55 million for the UNC system and $75 million for K-12 education). Medicaid enrollment growth in FY 2012 is unknown at this time. It should be noted that the general fund base is FY 2011 and does not include ARRA funds.

Gov. Bev Perdue is going to talk about government reorganization tomorrow, offering something of a nonspecific preview to the budget she'll present early next year.

NCGA: Joint Legislative Oversight Committee Meeting MH/DD/SAS Agenda

On Wednesday, the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services will meet. This is the draft agenda for the meeting.

AGENDA
December 8, 2010 10:00 A.M.; Room 643, Legislative Office Building
Senator Martin Nesbitt, Co-Chair, Presiding

10:00
Welcome and Opening Remarks Senator Martin Nesbitt, Co-Chair
Representative Verla Insko, Co-Chair

10:00-10:15
Secretary's Remarks
Lanier Cansler, Secretary
Department of Health and Human Services

10:15-10:45
ICF-MR Cost Analysis and Comparison w/
CAP/MRDD Services
Steve Jordan, Director,
Division of Mental Health, Developmental
Disabilities, & Substance Abuse Services

10:45-11:15
State Operated Developmental Centers -Carol Donin, Team Leader, Developmental
Centers, Division of State Operated Health Care Facilities, DHHS
Dr. Aleck Myers, Director. Murdoch Center

11:15-11:45
Residential Services for Children
Ages 0-6 with DD - Presenter,TBD

11:45-12:00
Update on Medicaid Waiver for
Traumatic Brain Injury Kelly Crosbie, LCSW, Behavioral Health Mgr.
Division of Medical Assistance, DHHS

LUNCH

1:00-1:30
Transfer of Utilization Review to LMEs
CAP/MRDD Services Kelly Crosbie, LCSW, Behavioral Health Mgr. Division of Medical Assistance, DHHS

1:30-2:00
Mobile Crisis- Service Gaps Beth Melcher, Ph.D, Asst. Secretary for Mental
Health, Developmental Disabilities, & Substance Abuse Service Development, DHHS


2:00-2:30
Post-Hospitalization Continuity of Care Peter E. Rives, Care Coordination Manager, CenterPointe Human Services LME

2:30-3:00 Public Comments

3:00 Closing Comments & Adjournment