Government Reform – Page 5

Narrowing Open Records Exemptions

Problem

Open records laws allow citizens to be privy to what their local, state, and federal governments are doing with taxpayer money. They also provide transparency so that citizens can see whether or not elected officials are performing appropriately. During his tenure as a Magistrate on the Pike County Fiscal Court, Chris’s attempt to obtain records regarding a public water district was denied. Legislation passed in the 2012 General Assembly had left a loophole that allowed private companies operating in governmental capacities and paid with taxpayer dollars to keep their records private.

Solution

In an effort to increase transparency in state and local government, Rep. Harris sponsored legislation which would narrow the open records exemptions for private firms providing public services. The bill would require entities offering services traditionally performed by government agencies, and receiving at least a quarter of their revenue from taxpayers, to comply with the same open records laws as their government counterparts.

Government by the Numbers

Problem

County governments are unlike any other entities, providing a breathtaking array of services. They include public safety and jails, road maintenance and repairs, permitting and other land use services, mosquito control, recycling and waste management, health clinics for disadvantaged communities, homeless services, marriage licenses, parks and beach access and the list goes on. But how do all these services fit together? How does the county apply limited resources across so many fields in a way that best fits the values of the community? We needed a Strategic Plan and an Operational Plan tied to the budget to put it into action and a website to track our progress.

Solution

After an unprecedented level of public and employee input, Santa Cruz County developed its first Strategic Plan, Vision Santa Cruz County, an overarching vision with six focus areas: Comprehensive Health and Safety, Attainable Housing, Reliable Transportation, Sustainable Environment, Dynamic Economy and Operational Excellence. Goals aren’t enough. We needed an Operational Plan to make it happen. The county now has 178 distinct objectives to pursue over the next two years. And all of it, from the strategic plan to the objectives is synthesized with the county’s first-ever two-year budget. Residents can visit www.sccvision.us to follow the county’s progress on each objective by tracking the key steps necessary to complete each task.

Fair Fees and Fines for Vulnerable Residents

Problem

San Francisco is the first city in the nation to launch a Financial Justice Project to assess and reform how fees and fines impact our city’s most vulnerable residents. Too often government programs and courts levy fines and fees on people, partly to generate revenue to balance public budgets. There is often an insidious unintended impact of this practice—to push people into poverty. These fines and fees can knock people down so hard they can’t get back up. Poor people and people of color are usually hit the hardest. These financial penalties can make government a driver of inequality, not an equalizer.

Solution

The Financial Justice Project was launched in November 2016. The Project is housed in the Office of the San Francisco Treasurer, the entity in charge of revenue collection for the City and County. Together the Project works with community organizations, advocates, city and county departments, and the courts to enact reforms that result in meaningful change for low-income San Franciscans.

Safety for deaf/hard of hearing drivers and law enforcement officers

Problem

With an estimated 825,000 Floridians who are deaf or hard of hearing, routine traffic stops can create dangerous situations. A hearing impaired driver likely cannot hear a siren or law enforcement commands during a traffic stop, which has resulted in tragedies for both law enforcement and hearing-impaired drivers. Without prior knowledge that the driver is hearing impaired, the officer may believe the driver is not complying or is resisting the officer.

Solution

Florida now has a voluntary process for deaf/hard of hearing drivers to indicate their hearing impairment on their vehicle registration. In the event of a traffic stop, law enforcement is able to access this information while running the tag – before approaching the vehicle – eliminating any potential communications issues and giving the officer the information necessary to adjust their approach appropriately.

Open Nassau: Nassau County’s Transparency Hub

Problem

Under previous administrations, Nassau County received a D+ grade in transparency in the face of multiple corruption scandals. In 2018, Jack Schnirman was elected County Comptroller with a promise to clean up local government, break up the backroom deals, and restore public trust in our institutions by allowing every member of the public to see how government operates.

Solution

Open Nassau includes a series of open-data web portals that explore different aspects of the County finances. Open Checkbook first launched in January 2019 and allows the public to see how Nassau County pays the tens of thousands of bills to vendors through a searchable platform. Open Payroll gives the public an opportunity to explore how the County’s payroll is distributed across departments and titles. Open Budget and Open Finance provide easy-to-understand breakdowns and summaries of the County’s approved budget and end-of-year finances, including the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report. These platforms work together in tandem to make information more accessible to the public.

Mobile Mayor

Problem

Most residents do not know what is going on in the City, lack trust in their local government, and face systemic barriers to appropriate access to city services and resources.

Solution

As part of Mayor Schaaf’s Trustworthy & Responsive Government priority area, this is an opportunity for diverse Oaklanders to talk about anything directly with their Mayor and be linked to staff, resources and services in a one-on-one setting.

Streamlining San Francisco’s Restaurant Permit Program

Problem

A major driver of the slow restaurant permit process was that first-time applicants were repeatedly asked for the same information on different permit forms across several City agencies. The delay in permitting review meant increased costs for the businesses along with significant frustration and counter-productive work effort by city staff from each department who were required to separately reach out to obtain necessary information to fulfill their review. This could delay the application review process by days or weeks. The old process also involved hard copy referrals to Zoning and Fire departments. Restaurant permit applicants were stifled with a prolonged process and wait times that could become prohibitively expensive.

Solution

We used technological innovation to improve San Francisco’s restaurant permitting process. This offers restaurant entrepreneurs a seamless experience. An applicant seeking a restaurant permit can use the information provided to the Office of the Treasurer and Tax Collector to pre-populate and standardize the information needed by the other agencies involved in the restaurant permitting process. Staff can view and easily update information on a multi-dimensional application and make referrals to other departments such as fire and zoning all with a mere click of a button.

The Law Enforcement Trust and Transparency Act (LETT Act)

Problem

Police-involved deaths are frequently in the national headlines. Where racial profiling and bias in policing is common, this is the worst possible outcome. In Montgomery Co., the impetus for the passage of the LETT Act was the June 11, 2018 shooting death of Robert White, an unarmed 41-year-old resident with a known history of mental health issues, at the hands of a county police officer. In a case where racial profiling and bias played a role, police attempted to stop Mr. White as he walked near his Silver Spring home, killing him in a parking lot during the confrontation. We need to create more trust and transparency in the aftermath of these incidents, not just for the rights of residents but for the safety of law enforcement officers.

Solution

The LETT Act mandates independent investigations and a public report following any police-involved death. This will rebuild the trust lost between local law enforcement and the community — a critical bridge to promote community policing, and reducing crime before it occurs. The LETT Act addresses rebuilds trust between police and the community by requiring new levels of transparency in a critical area: deadly force. Investigators from an independent law enforcement entity deliver their findings to the County State’s Attorney where if charges not be brought, a public report out will occur. Our residents deserve to know what happened in these cases, and we should embrace outside investigations to protect against the potential for bias.

This Is Nassau

Problem

Minority communities experience inequities in entrepreneurship, educational attainment, employment, income, homeownership, and access to credit. However, policymakers lack understanding of the scope of the issue and therefore do not have adequate solutions to address it. County residents pay some of the highest taxes in the country and they expect government services to reflect the price tag. As our population changes, and becomes older and more diverse, government must change with it to meet the needs of the new demographics and retain the next generation. The This Is Nassau report series explores the changing demographics of our county and raises policy questions about how government must respond to better serve our changing populations.

Solution

Our recently launched Policy and Research Unit is designed to produce reports to inform the public and our local policymakers on demographic trends and racial economic equity. Whether at the village, town, county, state, or federal level, reports and public engagement meetings are the groundwork to much-needed action.

Narrowing Open Records Exemptions

Problem

Solution

Government by the Numbers

Problem

Solution

Fair Fees and Fines for Vulnerable Residents

Problem

Solution

Safety for deaf/hard of hearing drivers and law enforcement officers

Problem

Solution

Open Nassau: Nassau County’s Transparency Hub

Problem

Solution

Mobile Mayor

Problem

Solution

Streamlining San Francisco’s Restaurant Permit Program

Problem

Solution

The Law Enforcement Trust and Transparency Act (LETT Act)

Problem

Solution

This Is Nassau

Problem

Solution

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