County Mayor Weston Wamp said the County Efficiency Task Force has identified $3.7 million in immediate annual savings and outlines a path toward $50.5 million in expected long-term savings.
“We are working toward a smarter, more efficient government,” said Mayor Wamp. “Through conservative leadership and disciplined stewardship of taxpayer dollars, we’re making real changes that will modernize Hamilton County Government, cut waste, and ensure long-term efficiencies that protect taxpayer dollars.”
Since January, the County Efficiency Task Force has conducted a top-to-bottom review of County General Government operations.
Key Savings Recommended:
? Immediate Annual Savings: $3,709,280
? Recommended One-Time Savings: $14,008,112
? Expected 10-Year Savings: $50,542,912
? Potential 10-Year Savings (subject to additional capital asset divestment): $79,842,912
The task force’s recommendations include freezing chronically vacant positions, renegotiating contracts, utility cost cuts at aging facilities and streamlining procurement and technology use.
Efficiency Efforts:
? Modernizing Office Practices: Discontinuing ink and toner purchases for desktop printers to reduce supply costs and accelerate our transition to a primarily paperless county government; streamlining internal mail service for County General Government by transitioning to a digital model.
? Facility Optimization: Launched a full review of county-owned buildings to identify and address inefficient facilities, reducing long-term utility and maintenance costs.
? Reduced Vehicle Costs: Pursuing grants to transition to electric vehicles, reducing long-term lease expenses; reducing the county fleet by seven vehicles.
? Streamlined Purchasing: Centralized departmental purchasing under one Amazon Business account to eliminate duplicative orders, improve oversight and decrease shipping expenses.
? Smarter Tech Management: Tightened policies on county-issued phones and tablets, ensuring deactivated or unused devices are returned and not billed; 80 total devices eliminated.
? Public Works Consolidation at Cromwell: Follow through on consolidating operations from PLM III and White Oak into the Cromwell site—lowering facility and fuel costs and improving operational efficiency.
The task force, spearheaded by Chief Operating Officer David Roddy, included Mayor Wamp, Deputy CFO Vonda Patrick, Procurement & Fleet Management Deputy Director Lindsey Parrish, County Audit Manager Austin Durall and Development Services Director Nathan Janeway.
Any real estate sale(s) and capital asset divestments would require County Commission approval.
These findings aim to consolidate county operations and eliminate costly inefficiencies tied to aging infrastructure, officials said.