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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2013 - 2014
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | October 24, 2014 10:30 AM |
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| From: | Representative Seth M. Grove |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Better Government for Taxpayers Act |
| Across the commonwealth local governments are still struggling under the economic impact of the Great Recession. As local economies declined, municipalities and school districts saw decreasing revenues and increasing costs; leading many local governments into financial distress. In 1987 Pennsylvania passed the Municipalities Financial Recovery Act (often referred to Act 47) to assist struggling local governments facing financial hardship. In 2012 the commonwealth provided assistance to struggling school districts by passing Act 141 for financially distressed school districts. However, following the enactment of these laws no municipality or school district which was declared in financial distress has ever left financial distress. One reason for this has been the lack of tools for local governments to reduce their costs without reducing their services. In recent years a new tool for local governments to end their financial hardship has appeared; through the adoption of lean government practices. This practice has been proven effective, by improving government services from the federal to the local level through lowering costs and reducing waste. For three years we have done this at a state level through of the Office of Innovation. Since 2011 the Office of Innovation has saved the state $690 million dollars through 270 projects across multiple state agencies. In the near future I plan to introduce legislation which would provide financial assistance to our local governments. This legislation would empower the Office of Innovation to provide training in lean government practices to the administrators of struggling municipalities and school districts. By training these municipalities and school districts in lean government we help reduce their costs and assist them with providing improved and efficient government services to the people of Pennsylvania. Please join me in providing our local governments the tools to provide better, more efficient services at a lower cost to taxpayers. |
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