News and Press Releases for November 2006

Back to November 2006 Releases

11/30/2006

Gov. Sanford Previews Executive Budget Restructuring Proposals

Budget to Recommend Restructuring Measures to Increase Accountability, Save $19 Million Yearly

Columbia, S.C. - Gov. Mark Sanford today previewed the restructuring recommendations that will be included in his FY07-08 Executive Budget, aimed at increasing accountability in government and yielding significant cost savings for the state.

The governor's budget will recommend making the Department of Transportation a Cabinet-level agency and creating a Department of Administration to take over many of the functions of the current Budget and Control Board - moves that would create a more directly accountable structure than what currently exists. The budget also proposes consolidating a number of the state's agencies in an effort to better align their missions and create savings for the taxpayers. Specifically, the budget would restructure the state's healthcare, environmental, correctional, and literary and cultural agencies for a total annual savings of roughly $19 million. Gov. Sanford said each of these changes were key to creating an open, accountable and efficient government for South Carolina.

"Given what was in the recent audit report on the Department of Transportation and the fact South Carolina has a system of government that to a large degree still operates as if it were stuck in 1895, we believe it's past time to move forward on the issue of restructuring," Gov. Sanford said. "The bottom line is that South Carolina deserves a government that answers to the people it's intended to serve and makes the best use of their tax dollars. While we know that we could save at least $19 million yearly by making these changes, there are likely untold millions more in savings that can come through indirect benefits for restructuring like when we sold fractional ownership of a Commerce jet. Not only did the state reap a windfall from the one-time sale, but now that more expensive avenue for travel is no longer available the state is spending less on transportation. These reasons are why reforming our government structure is something we'll be focusing a considerable amount of time and energy on in the coming legislative session."

In addition to agency restructuring, the budget will also include a recommendation that the people of South Carolina be given the choice of continuing to elect most constitutional officers or have them appointed by future governors starting in 2011. Yesterday, Sen. Glenn McConnell pre-filed Senate bills to allow these changes.