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Show State Organizational Changes to Be Aired The Committee on Executive Reorganization will discuss their proposed organizational changes in six different areas of state government at public hearings on Thursday at 1:00 p.m. in the county commission chambers of the Sevier County Court House, Richfield, and on Friday, at 10:00 a.m. in the chamber of commerce offices, 268 North Main in Cedar City. For the past year or more, the committee has been studying the Public Service Commission and its interrelated agencies, the department of Natural Resources, the State Tax Commission, the Department of Social Services, and the duties of the Lieutenant Governor's Office. After some intensive review, the committee recommended that the Public Service Commission be separted from the Department of Business Regulation and be totally independent of all other departments and divisions within state government. Also, that the Division of Public Utilities be dissolved and a much stronger staff be provided to the Public Service Commission to allow it to accomplish its charge of being responsible for all aspects of utility regulation in the state. The committee's study of the Department of Natural Resources pointed out some rather confusing lines of authority which in turn affected the implementation of departmental polices. As a result, the committee feels that division directors should be appointed by the department director with the concurrence of the individual boards and that the board should not supercede or impair administrative authority of the department or division directors. After some in-depth study of the State Tax Commission, the committee proposes that the four man full-time commission be changed to a part-time four man commission with a full-time executive director to handle day-to-day administration. Also, there should be comprehensive policy statements developed for every function to guide the actions of all agency personnel and a mission statement inserted into the la w that would clearly state the purposes of the Tax Commission. The Social Services study resulted in the committee's recommendation that some functions be separated by establishing a new division out of the I Division of Family Services called the Division of Services to the Handicapped and a corresponding policy board established along with it. Among several other recommendations was that performance audit criteria and procedures be set up to routinely evaluate organizational structures and functions of the district offices. Duties of the new Lieutenant Governor's Office have been the object of much con- troversy over the past few years, and as a result prompted the committee to review this area and make some recommendations on duties that would be more In line with the increased importance of the Office. In addition to the tranfer of several routine duties to other areas, the Committee recommends that the Governor be required by law to assign certain duties suggested by the Committee and that such assignments would recognize legislative intent. |
