CHEYENNE – Wyoming has suggestions for how to increase government efficiency in ways that could save the state hundreds of millions of dollars in the long run after an upfront investment. The challenge now is selling the idea to legislators.

The Wyoming Legislature’s Government Spending and Efficiency Commission met Tuesday in Cheyenne to review the final report issued by consulting firm Alvarez & Marsa. During the Legislature’s 2017 session, a bill passed establishing the commission, calling on it to identify opportunities to increase efficiencies and reduce costs in government.

The 133-page report focused on four key agencies - the Departments of Administration and Information, Education, Health, and Revenue - producing a broad swath of recommendations. Among those are the following: changes to management, changes to employee benefits and school district benefit programs, modernizing state systems and implementing technological upgrades, creating an office to increase revenue through federal grants, and sharing services across agencies and school districts.

For a one-time upfront investment estimated to be between $12.8 million and $17.7 million, Alvarez and Marsa reports, the state could realize between $112.5 million and $227.6 million in biennial savings.

But with a Legislature wary of spending during another session of deficits, the commission is looking at how to make the case that it’s worth the

“What we need to sell is, ‘Here are some hard-and-fast results,’ so we can get some legislative and executive and (agency) directors’ buy-in to actually turn it into action,” said Gail Symons, a citizen commission member. “It’s really no longer an exercise in what are the possibilities; it’s an exercise in how do we turn this into an executable benefit to the state.”

Looking at presenting legislation during the 2018 budget session beginning in February, Senate President Eli Bebout said he needs some changes that would show tangible benefit in the short term that could incentivize long-term buy-in.

“In looking at putting together a bill to present to the next session, there are going to be some statutory changes I would characterize as low-hanging fruit,” he said. “What I’d like to know is if we’ve defined those and how much money we might realize and the timing.”

With legislative and executive action in certain areas, consultants identified investments of between $2.5 million and $4 million that could result in estimated annual savings of around $20 million to $40 million in the next two years, said J.W. Rust, Alvarez & Marsa senior director.

It’s also important to realize that some of the savings might not be in cold, hard cash, said State Auditor Cynthia Cloud.

“One of the things I ran into on my human resource information system and trying to get that to go forward is that there’s going to be a lot of savings, but a lot of it is efficiency savings, which is good for long-term, but may not be recognized as an actual decrease in budget,”
she said.

Commission members all agreed on two things Tuesday: one, that the commission’s work should continue and incorporate representatives from the Auditor’s office and the Enterprise Technology Services division; and two, that there’s a need to establish a project manager’s office, an executive branch function to serve as the center point for the coordinated efficiency effort.

The Legislative Service Office is now working on what Symons said she expects to be a buffet of bills that will be presented by the commission’s representatives from the Legislature - Sen. Drew Perkins and Rep. Joe MacGuire, both Casper Republicans - to the Joint Appropriations Committee on Dec. 3.