The Executive-elect detailed his idea for a reduction of county government that slashes stand-alone departments by half.
10 units that each had elected officials to lead them are to be categorized into four areas: Justice, Economic Development, Health and Human Services, and Operations.
ED FITZGERALD:
"This is going to help us achieve the goals of the new system which are: to be more economical, to have a focus on economic development, to be more efficient, more accountable, more streamlined... to put an emphasis on ethics, to put an emphasis on the integration of technology. All of these things I think are consistent with that."
New positions created by the restructuring include an Independent Inspector General, who will have the power to investigate all dealings the county conducts, and a Regional Collaboration Director to facilitate opportunities among cities. All departments will share communications and technology staffs.
None of the people who will head these departments have been selected, but Fitzgerald says the openings were posted on line today - and he plans to know who will be filling the slots when he takes office in January.
Fitzgerald says he and his staff have designed much of the new government structure, but emphasized that he's included suggestions from the committee set up early this year to begin planning for the transition to the new charter.
