Senate Leadership
August 10, 2009
Democrats Dismayed That Governor Opposes Cuts to Bureaucracy at DCF
Plan proposed by Democrats would save millions and help shrink the size of state government
As more details of Gov. M. Jodi Rell’s third budget plan become clear, State Senate President Donald E. Williams, Jr. (D-Brooklyn) says he is concerned that the governor wants to increase — or at least help maintain — the size of government bureaucracy at the state Department of Children and Families (DCF).
DCF has a budget of more than $800 million and has more than 3,600 employees. Democrats have proposed the elimination of 25 percent of the managerial positions at DCF; the reduction amounts to the elimination of 66 positions and is estimated to save the state more than $13.5 million over the next two years.
“Families across Connecticut understand that the state budget cannot be balanced through cuts alone,” Sen. Williams said, “but they do want to know that we’re making real cuts that make government smaller and more efficient. Our proposal to eliminate 25 percent of managerial positions at DCF does that, and we encourage the governor to support it.”
In the governor’s latest budget proposal, she restores $11 million of cuts proposed by Democrats to support managerial positions. This represents a restoration of 82 percent of the reduction included in the Democratic budget passed in June.
“DCF is notorious for having one of the highest levels of administrative overhead in all of state government,” Sen. Williams said. “There are four or five supervisors and levels of bureaucracy for every one front-line employee. We can do better.”
Sen. Ed Meyer (D-Guilford), the former Senate chairman of the Select Committee on Children, said he, too, is concerned about the level of bureaucracy at DCF.
“Despite the governor’s purported hiring freeze, she has approved five new managerial positions plus a new deputy chief of the child welfare bureau,” Sen. Meyer said.
“In contrast to Connecticut’s other state agencies, 36 percent of DCF employees are paid more than $75,000 a year,” Sen. Meyer added. “The agency has an inefficient, bureaucratic, nine-deep layering of staff, such as social worker trainee, social worker, social worker supervisor, program supervisor, program director, area director, service area director, deputy bureau chief, and bureau chief.”
“If we’re going to be adding any money to DCF at all, we should be putting it on the ground where it will directly benefit troubled children and families in need, rather than increasing bureaucracy and political appointments,” said Sen. Anthony Musto (D-Trumbull), co-chair of the Select Committee on Children. “Targeting our limited funds to where they will provide the most help should really be the goal of reinventing government, rather than institutionalizing several layers of bureaucracy that are unnecessary and counterproductive. We need to be supporting our children and families through effective case management and delivery of services, not through increased management and paper-pushing.”
Sen. Williams said he does appreciate that Gov. Rell has made various proposals to cut costs, and he supports many of them. In their latest budget proposal, Democrats put more than $260 million in cuts and cost savings on the table.
|
Senator Williams’ Derek Slap |
Listing of Leadership’s recent press releases. |
Senator Looney’s Derek Slap |
