Wide-ranging reforms backed by Sanford committee

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Members of the Commission on Management, Accountability and Performance spent seven hours Tuesday discussing procurement, information technology, property management, budgeting, personnel and public safety agencies.

The group also recommended changes for the state Department of Social Services, including moving daycare licensing out of the agency and that the Continuum of Care, an agency in the governor's office that coordinates services for emotionally disturbed children, be moved into DSS.

Sanford has said he will use the recommendations in crafting his budget message for the Legislature. Many of the changes, however, will require legislative approval.

"I'm not trying to pretend that they will wholesale adopt it just because a large group of 300 people have spent four months working furiously on digging up information and data," Commission Chairman Ken Wingate said afterward. "I do think our report will be well-supported. I do think it will afford reasonable suggestions for substantial savings. And in this state this year, I think that will be well received by the General Assembly."

Almost all of the proposals aired Tuesday were unanimously approved by the Commission. The panel rejected recommendations to privatize the state's port operations and the state's electric utility, Santee Cooper.

State Comptroller General Richard Eckstrom, who chaired a panel committee on budgeting issues, proposed a bevy of financial recommendations approved by the Commission, including one to prohibit the Legislature from using one-time money on recurring expenses. Eckstrom said lawmakers have exasperated the state's budget woes in recent years by depending on one-time monies to fund agency operations.

That and four other budget proposals would require a constitutional amendment.

"Perhaps this would be a constitutional prohibition that the General Assembly would recognize," Eckstrom joked, referring to lawmakers' acceptance of a $155 million deficit despite a constitutional requirement for a balanced budget.

The Commission also approved recommending an increase in one of the state's reserve funds from 2 to 3 percent; requiring agencies to develop zero-based or performance budgets; prohibiting the use of line-item vetoes by the governor if they create a deficit; and requiring that lawmakers adopt more conservative revenue forecasts if they are given a range of estimates.

The panel also approved a proposal that the state gradually stop including July revenue when it closes out its financial books for the fiscal year, which ends June 30. Eckstrom said the 10-year-old practice currently allows the state to count more than $200 million from July taxes, licenses and fees to help balance the books.

The Commission approved a variety of suggestions in the state's use of computer technology, including a goal of serving far more citizens through the Internet. One state Web portal should be developed for all citizens to use, the panel recommended, which they said could result in "huge cost savings" as well as a more consistent approach to the public. The panel also recommended all agencies use one of two computer operating systems and combine systems to reduce redundancies. It suggested beefing up the office of state chief information officer and placing a hold on future agency computer initiatives until officials can reorganize the supervision of computer services.

Commission member Barbara Rackes said agencies could save large amounts of money by consolidating purchases. She said mapping software makers, for instance, charge each agency $25,000 for a primary license. But if the state purchased one primary license and then each agency purchased a secondary license, it would save $15,000 for each department using the software, she said.

In the area of law enforcement, the panel recommended public safety agencies consider consolidating purchases to save money. It also approved suggestions to develop a communication system that can be shared by all law enforcement agencies.

Stephen Birnie, interim director of the state Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services, told members his committee "felt this is the most pressing issue in law enforcement."

The Commission also recommended establishing a shared data warehouse for law enforcement agencies, to expand the amount of information available to police agencies.

In the area of property management, the Commission recommended creating a Department of Administration to handle the management of the state's more than 1 million acres and thousands of buildings. The agency would monitor and manage the state's holdings, purchases, and leases, exempting college and university real estate.

All of the state's lands, which are now titled to dozens of agencies and institutions, should be titled to the state of South Carolina, the panel recommended.

The Commission suggested lawmakers raise cabin and camping fees in state parks; examine the annual losses at Charles Towne Landing and Hickory Knob state parks and explore whether some parks could be turned over to local communities.

Proposals concerning transportation will be taken up next week by the Commission.

Also next week, proposals will be considered involving constitutional officers, including proposals to eliminate the elected positions of state treasurer and comptroller general and to move and consolidate some state agencies.