As an Oro Valley citizen, John Musolf has the expertise and knowledge to bring budgetary issues to the Town Council.
Here is John's most recent correspondence to the mayor & council.
We trust John's work will receive the attention it deserves.We hope OV residents will take a few minutes to read John's report below.
Art
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Mayor and Council
As an individual taxpayer I would like to question some of the operations and budgets for various Town Departments.
Please review the attached analysis of the new Development & Infrastructure (DIS) Super department.
John Musolf
Oro Valley Taxpayer
In theory, the Building & Safety Department, the Public Works Department, and the Planning & Zoning Departments were combined into a new Super department called Development and Infrastructure (DIS) to streamline some functions and to reduce full time equivalents (FTEs). In my opinion, the FTEs could have been reduced without the creation of a new Super department. In my opinion, the creation of the new super department called Development & Infrastructure (DIS) is nothing more than creating a new super bureaucracy. The workloads in those individual departments had significantly dropped because of lower economic activity and needed some FTE reductions. This could have been accomplished without a super reorganization.
“The Development section is organized into three functional divisions: Planning, Permitting, and Inspection & Compliance. The Infrastructure section is organized into three functional divisions: Engineering, Operations, and Transit (Coyote Run). The number of departmental directors will be reduced from three (3) to one (1)”.
Really?
The Planning & Zoning Director position is eliminated (however, the individual that was in the Planning & Zoning Director position remains and was simply reclassified as Division Manager: Planning & Development with the same salary and benefits).
The former Public Works Director also remains with a reclassification and title change to Town Engineer with the same salary and benefits.
The former Building & Safety Director assumes the new super title of Development & Infrastructure Director.
“The number of divisional managers/administrator remains the same; however, duties are realigned by functional area described in the proposed organization above.”
“A reduction of staffing from 40 full time equivalent (FTE) budgeted in FY10 to 30 FTE budgeted in FY 11 is proposed in the General Fund. The reductions are comprised of the following positions:”
Discussion:
Eliminated Position:
Planning & Zoning Director
(This is true. However, the individual that was in the Planning & Zoning Director position was simply reclassified as Division Manager: Planning & Development with the same salary and benefits). Musical Chairs?
Staff Reassigned:
Civil Engineer, PW Dev Review Division reassigned to Stormwater Division
(Only in government accounting can a reassignment from one group to another group be called a reduction of a FTE. The Public Works Development group has one less Civil Engineer and Stormwater has gained one Civil Engineer. Seems like a net wash to me?).
Unfunded Vacancies:
The five (5) FTE are counted here as reductions in staff because of the formation of the new DIS department. In my opinion, this is argumentative. The reduction is due to decreased workload. The town staff wants to argue these reductions two ways: They want to count them as FTE reductions, yet recommend that a vacant placeholder column be added to the budget because these positions are essential. If they are essential then they should be in the budget, not listed as unfunded vacancies.
In my opinion, when a position is not funded it is not authorized it should not appear in a projected budget. If the workload increases (supported by facts and figures) then an increase in personnel would be justified and added back to the budget. However, even if the workload is justified, these positions cannot be added back without having the associated revenue that would fund them.
Civil Inspection Technician, PW Dev Rev Div
The Civil Inspection Technician, PW Dev Rev Div had 2 positions in FY10 but in the New DIS Super Department - Inspection & Compliance Division in FY 11 it has only 1 funded position. Did we have to create a new super department to gain this reduction? Then the Town staff is saying that one (1) vacant position column should be added to the budget to reflect that an added position may become essential to the operation of that department in the future if the economy improves? Huh?)
Civil Engineer, PW Dev Review Division
(How many times do we count this Civil Engineer in the FTE reduction analysis? Under the Staff Reassigned section above this Civil Engineer, PW Dev Review Division was already reassigned to the Stormwater Division.)
Development Coordinator, P & Z
(The Development Coordinator, P & Z had 2 positions in FY10 but in the New DIS Super Department - Development Division – Permitting section in FY 11 has 1 funded position. Did we have to create a new super department to gain this reduction? Then the Town staff is saying that one (1) vacant position column should be added to reflect that an added position may become essential to the operation of that department in the future if the economy improves?)
Zoning Inspector Technician, P & Z
(The Zoning Inspector Technician, P & Z had 1 positions in FY10 but in the New DIS Super Department - Development Division – Inspection & Compliance section has no funded position. Did we have to create a new super department to gain this reduction? Then, the Town staff is saying that one (1) vacant position column should be added to reflect that an added position may become essential to the operation of that department in the future if the economy improves?)
Office Assistant, P & Z
(The Office Assistant, P & Z had 1 positions in FY10 but in the New DIS Super Department - Development Division – Administration section has no funded position. Did we have to create a new super department to gain this reduction? Then the Town staff is saying that one (1) vacant position column should be added to reflect that an added position may become essential to the operation of that department in the future if the economy improves?)
Reduction in Force:
Assistant Building Official, Building Safety
(Was the elimination of this position prompted by reduced development activity or as a result of the formation of the new DIS Super Department.)
Inspector I, Building Safety
(Was the elimination of this position prompted by reduced development activity or as a result of the formation of the new DIS Super Department.)
Planned Retirements:
Plans Examiner I, Building Safety
(If this was a planned retirement why does the formation of the new DIS Super Department claim credit for reducing an FTE?)
Inspector II, Building Safety
(If this was a planned retirement why does the formation of the new DIS Super Department claim credit for reducing an FTE?)
Summary:
Staff Reassignment (1)
Unfunded Vacancies (5) (Civil Engineer already counted in staff reassignment)
Reduction In Force (2)
Planned Retirement (2)
Total FTE (10)
Perhaps the new Mayor and Council would like to revisit the justification for the creation of the DIS Super department?
