SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
November 27, 2015
Sullivan’s
Salvos 12/1/15
In this edition:
*County Budget
*Micromanaging
*A Tale Of Two Counties
*Did You Know?
*County Budget
Johnson
County begins budget discussions in earnest in December.
We will be working
on the FY16 budget. Iowa’s counties use a July 1-June 30 fiscal year, so the
budget we will be discussing begins July 1 of 2015. It is actually the FY16
budget, however – the budget year refers to the calendar year in which the
budget ends.
The
FY16 budget is due to the State by March 15, but due to requirements for
publishing, public hearings, etc. the process needs to be completed by early
February.
So, do you have
thoughts as to how Johnson County should be spending money? If so, now is the
time to communicate those thoughts!
*Micromanaging
I
found it interesting that “micromanaging” became an issue in the Iowa City
Council race. It seems to be a very insider topic to put before the voters. But
I do believe micromanaging is worthy of discussion.
Micromanaging can occur in any organization – for
profit, nonprofit, government… any organization that has a hierarchy. Wikipedia
defines micromanagement as “a management style whereby a manager closely
observes or controls the work of subordinates or employees. Micromanagement
generally has a negative connotation.”
Why
does micromanagement have a negative connotation? I think that is pretty easy
to understand. If a manager spends time micromanaging, essentially two people
are doing the job of one. That type of staffing is clearly less efficient and
more costly.
More
importantly, micromanagement takes a toll on the employees who are being
managed. These employees feel as though they are walking on eggshells. They are
not proactive. They are not creative, because they fear a reprimand. They are
less productive and less happy. Basically, micromanagement hurts both your
organization and the people in it.
So
we know micromanagement is bad. The problem, in my experience, is recognizing
it. Clearly there was a difference of opinion between Iowa City Councilors as
to what constitutes micromanagement. The ICCSD Board is currently having this
argument. I think we have differences of opinion on the Board of Supervisors as
well.
There
is a pendulum here. An elected body can clearly ask too many questions, and can
prevent things from happening in a timely manner. On the other hand, elected
bodies can simply allow staff to make all the decisions. I do not like either
extreme. In my opinion, Iowa City has not suffered from micromanagement in the
past couple of years. In fact, the opposite has been true.
The
pendulum may be swinging too far the other direction when we discuss Johnson
County government. I worry that Supervisors are spending too much time on some
details, and I worry about negative impacts on our staff.
At
the same time, the price of not paying attention is very steep. Someone did
something wrong? Why didn’t you catch it? The public expects elected officials
to know everything, and be aware of every situation. How does one achieve that
without getting heavily involved?
Striking
the appropriate balance is not easy. It requires constant diligence, an
abundance of good judgment, and real self-awareness. It is not easy to find
seven (or even five) people who meet these criteria.
What
are your thoughts? Too much micromanagement? Not enough? Do you even care?
Please let me know!
*A Tale Of Two Counties
(This
piece ran in Salvos at Thanksgiving 2013. I believe it is still relevant
today.)
I frequently write about issues of wealth and poverty. Thanksgiving
offers me the opportunity to do this to an even greater extent.
The
country as a whole is becoming more and more unequal. The same phenomenon is
taking place in Johnson County. It really is a “Tale of Two Counties”, with a
small but growing wealthy population, a shrinking middle class, and a huge and
growing population of poor people. This is not hyperbole – it is fact. There
are all kinds of statistics backing this up.
Some
people honestly believe this is good. Social Darwinism. Survival of the fittest.
Free markets. Invisible Hand. Call it what you want; we can see the results. I
happen to believe these results are unacceptable. I also believe that a proper
role of government is to help regulate in areas where the unregulated results
are unacceptable. In my mind, our economic results are unacceptable.
Last year, Ohio Senator Rob Portman changed his view on same sex
marriage after his own son came out as gay. I heard a few comedians remark,
“Too bad his son didn’t come out as poor.” Not sure who first said this, but I
love it! We need an awakening!
So,
what governmental interventions do I suggest? Most of the best anti-poverty
programs are federal. Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Food Stamps, school
lunches, Section 8 housing and many other federal programs are proven to be
effective anti-poverty measures. Sure, each of these programs has had its
problems, but the successes number in the hundreds of millions! The national
media likes to pretend these programs do not work. Nothing could be further
from the truth. We should support these programs – not just their maintenance,
but their expansion.
There
are also things can and should be done at the local level. One that I have
mentioned frequently is inclusionary zoning. Developers do NOT build affordable
housing without being forced to do so; local governments should simply require
it. Done. It is that easy, and it would really help poor people.
We
are working on the FY15 Johnson County budget. Some time in January, there will
come a day where we see what county government will cost the owner of a
$100,000 property. And once we see this amount, the Board will begin to cut
programs and services.
It
happens the same way every year. Supervisors will want to prove their fiscal
bona fides, and make indignant comments such as, “How much more can people
afford?” It is all great theater.
Yet we will be discussing $3 per $100,000 assessed value. $3. And
believe me, much of that $3 will be cut. So the owner of a million dollar house
will not have to spend that extra $30. And we Supervisors will pat ourselves on
the back and talk about how frugal we are.
But
few people ask about what was cut. Who is not helped? What service was cut?
What position was not funded? What agency cut back on staff?
Yes,
we have a Tale of Two Counties. We are living it. If you are reading this, you
are likely one of the fortunate people. This is a great time of year for you to
count your blessings. Trust me – many folks in Johnson County do not share in
your good fortune.
*DID YOU KNOW?
Johnson County ranks 40th of Iowa’s 99 counties in overall
property tax rate. (Source: Iowa State Association of Counties.)
Anyone
interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the
County website-
"Sullivan’s
Salvos" is sent once per week to any interested party. It will give a
brief update on issues of interest to Johnson County residents.
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come solely from Rod Sullivan, and neither represents the viewpoints of the
whole Board of Supervisors nor those of groups or individuals otherwise
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As always,
feel free to contact me at 354-7199 or rodsullivan@mchsi.com. I look forward to
serving you!
---Rod
posted by Rod Sullivan @ 10:04 AM
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