The most obvious explanation for Alvarez’s current political situation arises from a lack of planning for changes in a global economy along with poor management of county resources. It is the equivalent of his buying a new car and never changing the oil or tires… The issue with Carlos Alvarez and his staff raises really has nothing to do with money, as much as the perception that he sold out. He ran on a “Better Government” platform and won. Change was in the air, citizens were breathing deep. Detractors during the campaign pointed out there was no plan for the county’s future in Alvarez’s platform.
Perhaps they were right. The county has been on a self-maintenance plan which doesn’t work for car maintenance or for county voters who expected positive changes in county government. (Hit read more)
County government is over-loaded with plans. George Burgess is great at doing plans. Getting the Marlin Stadium approved was an example of his tenacity in getting things done his way even if it means stepping hard on people to do it.
Burgess’ strategic management plan was set to make Miami-Dade County more like a corporate business. This plan plays well to the powerful business chambers in the county. In reality, the strategic management planning process did nothing more than create more meetings for the community (Public Relation opportunities) and loads of aggravation for the Department Directors. More often than not, the departments are left scrambling to figure out how to fit their true functions and achievements into a one-size fits all series of forms that does not jive with their actual mission. As a result, there may have been some great creative writing going on throughout the county over the past few years since all departments have to fit the same mold.
With the county strategic planning formula on auto-pilot, it leaves little wiggle room for positive change. County staff has their hands tied because of their fear of repercussion when their thinking strays out of the box. And, backroom politics at the county is viler than ever.
This is where the Strong Mayor mode of county government fails for Miami Dade County. The creative smarts of the rank and file employee in county government is stifled and asphyxiated by the rules of engagement.
Indeed, this is a sad budget year for Miami Dade County. This year’s budget is not the result of just the recession; this year’s budget is the result of the lack of a true long-term strategic vision which includes the change the electorate thought they voted for. It is great to make plans, but strategic planning needs a vision and the vision for the past six years has translated into “more of the same”. How tragic is that for the high hopes of the voters?
17 comments:
On Mayor Alvarez: while he was elected to political office, he continues to play the part of department director.
The "administration" is no more than a bloated county manager's office with no real leadership focused on the county's big problem, which is excessive compensation across the board. Just because one is an honest mand does not mean one will be a good elected leader.
On Burgess: in years past, the manager worked during the budget year to mitigate expected cuts. (The Property Appraiser often knows months in advance how bad a budget year will be and warns the administration to take action early.) Burgess was preoccupied and overly focused on his Field-of-Dreams, rather than making prudent, necessary cuts during the year.
The result: a fallback on an old strategy, which is to present an outrageous and unworkable budget that cuts deeply into programs for the county's most vulnerable residents.
The tactic was expected to force the Commission to cave-in and raise millage rates. This time, however, the votes weren't there. So now, the county is confronted with its worst financial crisis in memory. The blame in this instance falls squarely on the administration.
The manager/mayor's administration has faced a declining budget three years in a row. So, this years budget was no surprise.
What was different this time around was the manager/mayor declined to meet with the commissioners prior to the initial presentation of the mayors budget. That move took away the conversations between the executive office and policy makers.
In my eyes, that act forced a return to the ineffectual budget process. In recent years, the budget process was smoother and certainly not in the 4:30 AM league of the recent hearing.
So who made the decision to try to make the commissioners miserable by not allowing them to meet with the manager back in June? Was it the mayor or manager?
Wanna bet it that was the mayors choice? It was spiteful, directed at the commission to make them struggle the mayor's budget and has messed with the well being of the county population.
Change the oil and your car will run smoothly. I don't think they ever even did the equivalent of that.
Yes, under Burgess the last few years emphasis has been switched from service delivery to endless navel-gazing. I'd love to know, for example, how many MONTHS of staff time have been spent by county depts in the pursuit of the Governor's Sterling Award and other similar activities that mean very little to the public the organization is supposed to be serving. These projects eat up tons of resources -- and for what? So the Administration can have bragging rights at national conferences or add something to their resumes? The fact that the County's screwed up procurement department continues to get national awards boggles the mind of any county employee who has tried to purchase anything more exotic than paper and pencils.
There is no common sense at county hall these days (I guess that is an oxymoron). The sterling awards are nothing more than a ego booster for the mayor and manager team. How long are the interviews going to take to prepare for and present the dog and pony show? I guess those award applications represent some of the creative writing being done in the county.
What a waste. Make the folks who are working, do their job. Make the slackers go away. Stop the back room deals.
Instead of a petition to recall "The Mayor" there should be a petition to recall the "Strong Mayor" admendment. The current form of government is flawed.
Carlos Alvarez is obviously not experienced enough to lead an organization the size of Miami-Dade County. Obviously George Burgess only cares about his $400,000 per year pay package and in making sure the privately owned Marlins get as much taxpayer money as they want.
We are screwed.
The flaws of the county government cannot be cured by going back to the strong manager form. The county is too large for that form to work anymore.
Because the county is physically and financially larger than many states and countries, a better solution is to structure the county as if it were a state government, meaning it would have separate and distinct legislative and administrative branches.
Doing so does not necessarily demand duplicative agencies. One could have a shared, independent budget agency, for example.
The key is to have two branches checking each other. The current system promotes the incestuous status quo.
Cap all salaries at $132,000.
What happened to Carlos? I had high hopes some of his philosophy would rub off on Burgess. But it looks like Burgess turned the mayor around. Doing away with the strong mayor won't change a thing. How great was it before the strong mayor? We sure can't return to the lobbyist revolving door of previous mayors.
If your hell-bent on a petition drive, change the district voting for commissioners.
Carlos Alvarez just gave another press conference. He crashed and burned.
Ahhhh, he inherited a mess. This is a long time coming. It is an over simplification to blame this on him. There is systemic failure in our entire county, in the charter, in the way that people grab power here, in the way that special interest operate here. Alvarez is not a sophist. He's a cop. This was waaaaay too much for him to bite off. It must be hell being him about now.
OUT OF SIGHT:
Alvarez has good people surrounding him for his agenda, but poor choices for the county constituents and their needs.
The inherited a mess excuse/argument doesn't fly with me.
Any college football coach knows that argument does not work beyond his first recruiting class' senior year. Alvarez is well beyond being able to use that as an excuse. He came in not knowing where the light switches were on the 29th floor and now he is in his second term. He is beyond the learning curve and the mess was certainly his after having several years to figure it out.
After the first year if he had been surrounded by seasoned and professional employees he should have been well on his way to a dynamic reign.
Speaking as a former Miami-Dade County employee. I enjoy saying former. :) I know from experience that the County is one giant "clusterfrak". There is so much nasty politics going on behind the scenes. Its no wonder anything gets accomplished at all. Its the lower level employees who are the back bone of the government. The upper levels of management are busy jocking for power and stepping on the little people.
The upper management at the department level and County executive levels, along with the elected officials hog available resources to better their own careers at the expense of the citizens and efficiency of the entire government. Its dog eat dog.
Its true what others have said about the Sterling Awards and Strategic Planning. Employees have to scramble to come up with some sort of statistic to measure. Many are not rooted in any real data.
Appeasement are rewarded over competence. At every level, the people who kiss ass of the department director, executive assistanct or elected officials are promoted.
There is racial and gender politics seething underneath every action. You either not black enough, hispanic enough, anglo enough, male enough, et. al. Whatever the criteria you simply are not enough of the right thing to do a good job and be rewarded for it. Its government run like the mafia, loyalty counts above everything else. Its survival of the fittiest, or survival of the luckiest because alliances and loyalty change with the constant flux in the power structure. And no one trust anyone as a result.
Many government workers at the County love their community and work in government as a means of helping others. After a few years each employee comes to realize their job and work are not your own. You're expendable and your work can be changed at the whim of the County Commissioner, who use county employees as mear extensions of their staff so they can get re-elected.
The Commission needs reform over everything else. It goes to the heart of the County's problems. The best way to do this is to pay Commissioners a salary. It would attract competent people and not just rich fat cats who want to use the County for personal gain for, money, ego or both.
I don't know how to change the unhealthy work culture of the County. That's something that a huge team of psychologist would need to tackle. The dysfunciton there is so engrained.
So glad I no longer work there. The things I experienced as a County employee will haunt me the rest of my life. Perhaps the best thing would be for the bulk of the services to be handled at the town and city levels, and keep the County bare boned, except for the areas where intergration is needed.
Just another demicrat. Do as i say not as I do.
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