Baltimore County Releases First Comprehensive Enterprise-Wide Efficiency Review

January 31, 2022

Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski today announced the release of Baltimore County’s first comprehensive and enterprise-wide Efficiency Review, which outlines opportunities for the County to streamline current operations, improve service delivery, and save taxpayer dollars.
 

The new report identifies over 150 recommendations — many of which are currently underway — that could save taxpayers up to $732 million over the next five years.

“As leaders, I believe we have a responsibility to look in the mirror and find ways to improve both the quality of our services and the efficiency with which those services are provided,” Olszewski said. “This new report confirms that Baltimore County is on the right track in our work to modernize and streamline our government, even as we continue to innovate, save taxpayer dollars and fulfill our commitment to building the responsible and accountable government the people of Baltimore County deserve.”

In February 2021, Baltimore County and independent, nationally recognized consultant Public Works, LLC began a comprehensive assessment of Baltimore County government and the Baltimore County Public School System (BCPS) to identify opportunities for fiscal savings through efficiency in operations and service delivery.

The results of the Baltimore County Public School System efficiency review were released in September 2021.

“This Efficiency Review will help Baltimore County provide residents with a wide range of improvements, from procurement to solid waste, health care to housing, workforce to economic development, and even the way we think about government itself,” said Eric B. Schnurer, President of Public Works LLC. “County government has been on a path to improvement before – and, notably, throughout – this process and we hope this document will serve as a roadmap to further improve how the County is managed while helping it to do so more economically, efficiently, and entrepreneurially.”

The Baltimore County Efficiency Review released today provided over 150 recommendations in the following categories:

  • Savings Opportunities
    • Staffing Efficiencies
    • Operational Efficiencies & Improvements
    • Capital Asset Management: Vehicles and Facilities
    • Controlling Health Care Costs
    • Revenue Enhancement
  • Needed Investments
    • Staffing
    • Capital Assets
    • Programming
    • Connected Government
    • Strategic Planning
    • Strategic Analysis
    • Community Outreach and Civic Engagement
    • Efficient and Effective Public Services
    • Leveraging IT to Better Serve the Public
    • Entrepreneurial Government
  • Management Efficiencies
    • Dispersed Decision-Making
    • Streamlining Internal Functions
    • Human Resources
    • IT-Enabled Efficiencies
    • IT Management
    • IT Security
    • Modern Technologies and Tools

Baltimore County has already engaged in work and improvements for 44 percent of the recommendations provided in the report.

According to Public Works LLC, the total savings potential for all the recommendations in the report range from $75.8 million to $131.8 million for the first full year of implementation, and $444 to $732 million for the first five years of implementation. The County’s current County general fund budget is approximately $2.2 billion.

This project was overseen by Baltimore County’s Office of Government Reform and Strategic Initiatives, an office created by Olszewski in December 2018 to improve transparency, accountability, and innovation in County Government.

In addition to the Baltimore County Efficiency Review, the Office of Government Reform and Strategic Initiatives continues to conduct program reviews to assess the operations of County departments to better understand business processes, core programs, organizational structure and overall operational health.

“We thank Public Works, LLC along with department heads and senior staff who worked collaboratively on this effort.   This first-ever comprehensive countywide review supports our strategic goals to become a more efficient, effective and transparent government,” said Elisabeth Sachs, Director, Government Reform and Strategic Initiatives.

The Baltimore County Efficiency Review continues to support the goals and recommendations of Baltimore County’s Enterprise Strategic Plan and aligns with the 2019 report issued by the Commission on Fiscal Sustainability — which Olszewski created on his first day in office — and is the latest effort from the Olszewski administration to enhance transparency and accountability in Baltimore County.

Since taking office, Olszewski has taken unprecedented steps to make Baltimore County Government more data-driven, transparent, and accountable, including:

  • Adopting the County’s first Enterprise-Wide Strategic Plan in 2019
  • Establishing Baltimore County’s first data-driven performance management system, BCSTAT, that leverages data to drive better decision-making,
  • Publishing the County budget online in an open budget platform,
  • Creating the County’s first Office of Diversity and Inclusion,
  • Creating the County’s first Department of Housing and Community Development,
  • Creating the County’s first Office of Sustainability, and
  • Establishing Baltimore County’s Office of the Inspector General.

The complete Baltimore County Efficiency Review is available online here.

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