CCSNJ Board Council Report on Responsible Government Spending Phase III
Tuesday, February 17, 2009

The Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey (CCSNJ) released its third Board Council Report in 2008 detailing how New Jersey’s civil service system should be overhauled to allow for the more efficient use of state government’s labor force, which will save taxpayers dollars.
To access the full report click here.

The Chamber’s Board Council on Responsible Government Spending report, Meeting the Challenge: Saving Taxpayer Dollars by Adopting Best Business Practices – Phase III, contains 23 recommendations in five areas related to better utilizing and developing the state government’s labor force, as well as eliminating the Department of Personnel. The five areas that the Chamber has put forth as part of a civil service overhaul include: the state’s job classification system, hiring practices, employee assessment and pay for performance, professional development, and disciplining and dismissing employees.

“We believe that the state government has an obligation to taxpayers to spend smarter, manage better, operate much more efficiently, and be considerably more productive,” said Debra P. DiLorenzo, President/CEO, CCSNJ. “Having examined a number of state government operations, organizational structures, compensation policies, personnel management approaches and other factors, we have concluded that dramatic and fundamental improvements are both needed and possible.”

The release of the third Board Council report brings a total of 100 recommendations that the CCSNJ has provided to New Jersey’s governmental leaders on how they can reduce expenses. The Board Council’s Phase III report also outlines those recommendations from the first two reports that state government is currently implementing, and profiles the efforts undertaken by the Camden County Board of Chosen Freeholders to reduce expenses and save taxpayer dollars.

The Board Council chose to highlight the efforts of Camden County government whose leaders recognized that personnel costs were growing at an unsustainable rate, and property taxes could be lowered only if these costs were reduced. “The freeholders achieved their results of reducing taxes by putting the interests of the taxpayers first, partnering with employees and unions, investing in employee education and culture change, and exerting strong and courageous leadership,” said DiLorenzo.

The CCSNJ formed the Board Council on Responsible Government Spending in 2004 and made a five year commitment to identify best business practices that can be used by State government to reduce expenses. According to DiLorenzo, the Chamber’s Board Council is committed to working with state government leaders to help implement the recommendations from all three reports.

“We offer these recommendations to our State’s policymakers in the spirit of cooperation, and with a sense of responsibility to offer specific, workable solutions to reducing the cost of State government to the benefit of all taxpayers,” DiLorenzo concluded.

To access the full report click here.