Meeting held to streamline boards

Share this: Email | Facebook | X

Senior staff of the governor's office met with representatives of more than 30 occupational licensing boards Wednesday to begin looking at potential changes in how they operate.

Goals of the review include potentially reducing the list of boards and improving oversight.

"We're analyzing what efficiencies can be made," said Director of Administration Andrew Clinger.

"We also asked about best practices because some boards work better than others," said spokesman Dan Burns after the closed-door meeting in the Capitol.

When the review was announced earlier this month, Burns said the governor is looking to streamline the boards and commissions, which could include combining some and eliminating others.

While any savings might not be large in the overall scheme of things, Burns said there should be some savings.

Clinger described the meeting as "opening communications with the boards." He said some have been operating pretty much independently.

"This is the first time boards and commissions have been pulled together and listened to," said Chief of Staff Robin Reedy.

One issue on the table, according to Clinger, is improving oversight of what those boards and commissions are doing. He said those board budgets don't go through his office at this point. He said, for example, the Pharmacy Board last month voted to give its employees raises while the rest of state services is taking pay cuts through furloughs.

Clinger said after the initial meeting, the focus will shift more to individual meetings with boards to discuss specific issues.