The Free Press, Mankato, MN

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January 29, 2012

Our View: Open the door to county experiments

The Free Press

One check touching 35 hands as it moves through the system. A years-long wait to get state approval to streamline a social service system.

Those are just two examples of how counties waste resources and taxpayers’ money, even if they try to streamline.

County leaders say things like excessive requirements on handling checks or the inability to innovate with the social service system are the result excessive state regulation and the state’s reluctance to let counties try new things.

A bill moving through the Legislature would begin to change that.

The bipartisan Minnesota Redesign task force is asking lawmakers to take a very modest step by approving a bill to allow counties to launch cost-saving policies on their own.

Those counties would be so-called “laboratories of democracy” for the state.

The bill, approved by the Senate last year and supported by Gov. Dayton, would give more freedom to counties to innovate without legislative approval and without having to follow all state restrictions. In short, it would begin to loosen the grip of control by the state.  

State Demographer Tom Gillaspy has said a culture change is needed to “start thinking about a very different way we interact with each other.”

Some pilot programs suggested by counties include county deputies teaming up with state DNR officers to patrol sprawling northern Minnesota territories at a lower cost; counties and schools sharing technology departments; groups of counties joining together to work with the state Human Services Department to deliver social programs more efficiently and at a lower cost.

The bill deserves to pass. It would be only a baby step, but it would begin the necessary culture change needed to deliver government services in a more sensible manner. Then it would be up to counties to take advantage of the opportunity.

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