Best Value Government Task Force discusses Effective Government Service

ATLANTA (August 19, 2008) — State Sen. Mitch Seabaugh (R-Sharpsburg), Senate majority whip, today led the first meeting of the Senate Government Best Value Task Force for an in-depth discussion and review of the Pew Center’s Government Performance Project and Georgia’s report card.

“Lt. Gov. Casey established this task force to better serve Georgians through government efficiencies,” said Seabaugh. “By working collaboratively with the Governor’s office, we can provide Georgians with the best government at the lowest, most efficient cost. Our intent is 100% cooperation.”

The Pew Center on the States released its 50-State Report Card evaluating each state government’s performance in serving the public. Georgia’s grade was a B+, ranking above the national average of a B-, eighth in the nation and the leader in the southeast. Georgia had the second lowest per capita expenditure at $3,732.

While Georgia improved its score over the past 10 years and scored high on customer service and managing for results, more improvements could be made. Task Force members focused discussions on how they could work with the executive branch to move Georgia state government even further toward a results-oriented, performance measured plans.

The Senate Best Value Government Task Force seeks to examine how the state through its departments and agencies provides government service in the most efficient manner, and to further examine where these services could be, in some instances, provided by the private sector to maximize the efficiency of the public's tax dollar. Further, the Task Force seeks to determine whether there are services that are duplicated or mirrored by other state departments and agencies and whether there exists criteria to create a format or template or formula for departments and agencies to utilize in introspectively examining their own service-providing and tax-dollar efficiency.

The Pew Center’s report card on the states can be found at http://www.pewcenteronthestates.org/report_detail.aspx?id=36228.