Performance Review of Jefferson County Government
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ManagementManagement andand PerformancePerformance ReviewReview ofof CountyCounty GovernmentGovernment OperationsOperations inin JeffersonJefferson County,County, TexasTexas 1149 Pearl Street Beaumont, Texas 77701 MGT OF AMERICA, INC. 502 EAST 11TH STREET, SUITE 300 AUSTIN, TEXAS 78701 WWW.MGTOFAMERICA.COM July 18, 2005 TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ........................ i Purchasing .................................... 4-38 Management Information EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................ ES-1 Systems......................................... 4-39 Human Resources......................... 4-43 1.0 INTRODUCTION Economic Development Incentives ...................................... 4-47 AND BACKGROUND ................ 1-1 Introduction ......................................1-1 5.0 HEALTH & WELFARE/ Methodology ....................................1-3 LIBRARY/VETERANS Peer Analysis...................................1-7 SERVICE OF Jefferson County History and JEFFERSON COUNTY............. 5-1 Background....................................1-10 Background ..................................... 5-1 2.0 JEFFERSON COUNTY Health and Welfare Department...... 5-1 EMPLOYEE SURVEY Health Care Programs..................... 5-3 RESULTS .................................. 2-1 Pharmacy ........................................ 5-7 Welfare............................................ 5-8 Summary........................................2-12 Prescription Assistance Program.................................. 5-9 3.0 ASSESSMENT OF THE ORGANIZATION AND Units 1 and 2 Workload and MANAGEMENT FUNCTIONS Trends ........................................... 5-10 OF JEFFERSON COUNTY ....... 3-1 Overarching Issues....................... 5-14 Background......................................3-1 Federally Qualified County Organization ........................3-5 Health Clinic Designation ..... 5-15 County Management........................3-8 Staffing Concerns.......................... 5-17 4.0 ASSESSMENT OF Library ........................................... 5-19 THE FINANCE AND Automation .................................... 5-23 BUSINESS FUNCTIONS OF Bookmobile.................................... 5-24 JEFFERSON COUNTY............. 4-1 Staffing, Location and Hours......... 5-24 Veterans Service Office................. 5-30 Background......................................4-1 Staffing and Workload................... 5-33 Financial Overview of Comparison to Peer Counties ....... 5-33 Jefferson County..............................4-1 District Clerk, County 6.0 MAINTENANCE- Clerk, Tax Assessor-Collector EQUIPMENT AND and Treasurer ..................................4-7 STRUCTURES OF Organization of Finance and JEFFERSON COUNTY............. 6-1 Business Functions........................4-14 Financial Management...................4-18 Background ..................................... 6-1 Budgeting.......................................4-28 Road and Bridge Department.......... 6-2 Fiscal Policies................................4-31 Building Maintenance.................... 6-16 Financial Reporting ........................4-36 Vehicle Service Center.................. 6-23 TABLE OF CONTENTS (Cont’d) 7.0 JUDICIAL AND PUBLIC Threat Assessment ............... 7-50 SAFETY FUNCTIONS............... 7-1 Needs Assessment Planning................................ 7-51 Background......................................7-1 Mutual Aid Agreements......... 7-51 Sheriff’s Office.................................7-5 Emergency Management Plan....................................... 7-52 Organization and Staffing .......7-5 Electronic Filing of Court Cases.... 7-55 Correctional Services (Jail Operations)..............................7-9 TexasOnline e-Filing............. 7-61 Offender Population ..............7-12 Indigent Defense........................... 7-64 Facility Staffing......................7-17 Dispute Resolution........................ 7-68 Privatization ..........................7-20 Health Care Delivery.............7-20 8.0 ENTERPRISE OPERATIONS Downtown Jail Facility...........7-22 OF JEFFERSON COUNTY ....... 8-1 Inmate and Public Pay Phone Services.....................7-23 Background ..................................... 8-1 Ford Park.........................................8-1 U.S. Marshal Service/TDCJ...........7-23 Southeast Texas Regional Municipal Prisoners.......................7-24 Airport............................................ 8-18 Law Enforcement and Services Divisions..........................7-25 Land ...................................... 8-20 Facilities ................................ 8-20 Pay Comparisons..................7-25 Operations............................. 8-21 Budget History......................7-25 Finances................................ 8-27 Law Enforcement Division Staffing....................7-26 The People-Organization Crime Lab Statistics ..............7-26 and Staffing................................... 8-34 Uniform Crime Reporting Airport Equipment and Statistics................................7-27 Maintenance.................................. 8-40 Calls for Service....................7-27 APPENDICES Sheriff Office Fleet .........................7-28 Appendix 1: Economic Development Take-Home Car Policy..........7-28 Incentives Policy Age of Fleet ...........................7-29 Secondary Employment Appendix 2: Fiscal Impact Summary Policy.....................................7-30 Patrol Staffing................................7-31 Staffing...........................................7-31 Aviation Unit...................................7-33 Emergency Response Services.....7-34 Justice of the Peace Courts...........7-37 County Constables ........................7-43 Emergency Management...............7-49 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This review has benefited from the generous efforts of many county employees and elected officials. We want to thank all those who contributed their time, views, experiences and efforts to satisfy our many questions and requests for data. MGT wants to thank, in particular, Commissioner Eddie Arnold and Dee Christopher. As project liaison, Commissioner Arnold provided strong leadership and direction for the review team, and his efforts helped to keep this review on track. We are grateful to Dee Christopher, project manager, who provided tremendous assistance in all phases of this review including setting up interviews for the consulting team, coordinating departmental data requests, coordinating the distribution of 1,150 employee surveys and attending to the details for setting up the public input sessions conducted for this review. MGT is also grateful to Ms. Christopher for her assistance in distributing the first and second drafts of the report, as well as compiling all county comments received on the draft reports. We also want to acknowledge the work of the Citizens Steering Committee. Their thoughtful efforts were instrumental in the conduct of this review. Committee members include Vernon Durden, Mark Viator, Bert Black, Stephanie Flory, Sina Nejad, Jim Rich, D.E. Sosa, Eddie Bates and Jimmie James. Finally, we are grateful to the residents and businesses of Jefferson County. It is their desire for change that motivated the county to look for ways to improve operations and to make their tax dollars stretch further. Page i EXECUTIVE SUMMARY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY MGT was selected to perform a comprehensive management and performance review of Jefferson County services and operations in January 2005. Several county elected officials chose not to participate in the review. MGT agreed to conduct limited reviews of their offices, based on existing information and, where possible, comparisons to peer counties. Employee Survey As part of its study, MGT surveyed Jefferson County employees to measure their opinions concerning the work environment, job satisfaction, personnel management and other aspects of county operations. All 1,247 Jefferson County employees received surveys; 300 employees (24 percent) completed and returned them. In general, the respondents consider the county work environment to be adequate, but are clearly dissatisfied with pay and benefits, and unhappy about disparities among salaries and workloads. A majority feels that management does not value employee opinions adequately, and was quite critical of managerial decision- making and commissioner performance as well. Despite such indicators of low morale, county employees are generally satisfied with their jobs. Two-thirds believe that the county provides good customer service to its citizens. More than half, however, feel that residents do not receive a good deal for their taxes, and that the county does not communicate well with taxpayers. Organization and Management Jefferson County has four commissioners and a county judge who oversee the county’s general business and financial affairs, as well as about 1,150 full-time and 97 part-time employees. Other major elective offices include the sheriff, district attorney, Page ES-1 Executive Summary county and district clerks, tax assessor-collector, treasurer, justices of the peace and constables. The county also has an auditor appointed by the district judges. Administrative staffing and expenditures for the offices of the commissioners and county judge appear to be high when compared to peer counties. Jefferson County’s commissioners and county judge should reduce their administrative staffing by at least four employees, for an annual savings of about $160,000. In addition, sharing staff among the commissioners