CROWN POINT | Corporate sponsors of the Good Government Initiative are unlikely to finance any more studies of how to make local government more efficient until they are sure someone is following their earlier advice.
That was the message at a Wednesday meeting of the initiative's steering committee.
The Good Government Initiative is an effort by U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky, D-Ind., and the county's largest corporate taxpayers -- BP, Mittal Steel, NiSource, U.S. Steel and Whiteco -- to reduce waste and duplication in Lake County government.
Steering committee Chairman James Wieser said the corporate sponsors of the study were hoping to continue the initiative's mission by studying government at the town and township level but are reluctant to spend any more money until company officials are assured their earlier studies have made a positive difference for taxpayers.
The private businesses paid about $2 million for a 2006 study of municipal agencies and school districts in Gary, Hammond, East Chicago, Whiting and Hobart in 2006 and for county government in 2007. The studies concluded the cities could save $8 million and county government $5 million by cutting jobs and consolidating departments that offer overlapping services.
Tom Dabertin, county government's personnel consultant, said county and municipal officials have put a number of recommendations into practice.
But Tom Keilman, BP's representative on the steering committee, said sponsors want a detailed report of accomplishments.
County Councilman Larry Blanchard, R-Crown Point, said county officials are using the study to craft budget cuts.
Wieser said he asked county officials to put together a report card on their efforts, but they are too distracted by state-mandated property tax cuts that are forcing them to cut $15 million from their current budgets.
Wieser said the steering committee will approach Indiana University and Purdue University Calumet for help in providing an independent analysis of whether government efficiency is improving.
He also said Dabertin will work with steering committee members to create an analysis of which agencies are implementing recommendations to cut costs and end duplication of services and which ones are dragging their feet.
