County looking for ways to become more effective

Collier County commissioners are going ahead with an effort to improve the efficiency of county government. But the effort soon may set off alarms within the offices of the county’s independent constitutional officers and the independent fire districts.

On Tuesday the commission heard several recommendations from the county’s Productivity Committee on how government could be more effective.

The Productivity Committee believes county government as it is now set up is ineffective because the commissioners, School Board and constitutional officers do not always communicate well and sometimes have competing goals.

“There is a need to intensify cooperation between different agencies,” said committee Chairman Steve Harrison.

The commissioners told the committee to recommend how the county should implement its recommendations. They also told the committee to rank their recommendations so that the commissioners would know which are the most important.

Committee members recommended looking at charter government, outsourcing certain responsibilities and intensifying cooperation among government agencies.

Collier commissioners rejected charter government two years ago. But on Tuesday several commissioners said they wanted to look into it.

A charter is a document that spells out certain rights that citizens have. In government, it usually gives citizens the right to overrule their elected representatives, remove them from office or pass legislation directly by putting something onto a ballot via petition.

A charter form of government also could allow the commissioners to take over the independent constitutional officers and put them under the county’s control. Those independent officers include the clerk of courts, sheriff, supervisor of elections, property appraiser and tax collector.

Clerk of Courts Dwight Brock and Sheriff Don Hunter have had a tense relationship with commissioners over the years, and both probably would fight any effort to curb their authority or independence.

Undersheriff Kevin Rambosk, Hunter’s top chief, spoke for all the constitutional officers on Tuesday. Rambosk said the constitutional officers wanted to know what led to the recommendations made by the productivity committee today.

Commissioner Fred Coyle said the purpose of the recommendations was not for the county to seize power.

The goal is to work with the other government agencies to improve the way government works, Coyle said.

Commission Chairman Frank Halas said he supported charter government and wanted it put onto the ballot for voters to decide.

But Commissioner Tom Henning said he didn’t think charter government was needed.

“I have concerns about bringing constitutional officers in under our management,” Henning said. “What’s wrong with working together instead of working under one roof?”

The committee also said the county’s employee turnover rate of almost 16 percent per year is nearly double the national average.

Collier now has a pay range 5 percent above the national market, but committee members say it needs to be higher to reflect Collier living costs. Productivity members recommended paying 10 percent above market

The committee also recommended making hiring bonuses equal about three months of the salary employees are paid. Hiring bonuses now equal about one month of the base salary.

Coyle said he liked the idea of increasing the hiring bonuses, but wasn’t as crazy about increasing base salaries because they would be permanent increases.

The committee also recommended:

-- Shifting the focus of county government from the main government campus at the intersection of U.S. 41 and Airport-Pulling Road to satellite offices located throughout Collier County. That will make it easier for employees to live closer to their jobs.

-- Standardizing all insurance benefits and employee contributions.

-- Putting the entire county on the same computer system.