EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE NOMINATIONS COMMITTEE;

CURRENT ISSUES

1. In recent years, the Office of Policy and Management (OPM) and the position of secretary have been given additional duties related to areas such as labor relations, municipal oversight, and state bonding. Is OPM the appropriate agency to manage these responsibilities? Does it have the resources sufficient to handle them?


2. Have there been or do you expect staff reductions in OPM? How would OPM be affected in the event of layoffs or early retirements? What would be your plans to replace retiring employees at OPM?


3. Are there particular duties that would become especially difficult to carry out or certain divisions or offices that would be more affected than others in the event of such staff reductions?


4. What would be your suggestions as to the ways the state can meet its financial obligations under the recent agreement in the Sheff v. O’Neill case?

5. In light of proposals to reorganize state government, can you identify functions currently performed by OPM that might be discontinued or shifted to other agencies? Are there duties performed by other agencies that could be done more efficiently in OPM and therefore should be transferred?


6. Over the past few years, several municipalities have encountered serious financial difficulties, to the point where the state has had to step in and become involved in their operation and a major role was delegated to OPM. The OPM secretary, for example, was designated chairman of the Waterbury Financial Planning and Assistance Board.

Do you believe that OPM, with its general responsibilities to review municipal operations could identify potential problems at an earlier stage, thus avoiding the major response of temporary state management? In the event that state involvement is required, what is the appropriate role for OPM? Should another agency or official assume some of that responsibility?

ISSUES RELATING TO AGENCY RESPONSIBILITIES AND PROCEDURES

1. Describe OPM’s organizational structure. How do the various divisions interact with one another and with the secretary’s office?


2. Are there difficulties managing an agency where some employees have confidential or managerial classifications and some work under other classifications?


3. What changes with respect to the number of agency employees and their assignments have you seen at OPM during your tenure as secretary? Explain the circumstances that prompted some of the biggest modifications.

4. What are the respective roles for the state treasurer and the OPM secretary in dealing with the Bond Commission and bond rating agencies?


5. Section 4-67m of the statutes requires OPM to develop, with each budgeted agency, biennial goals, objectives, and quantifiable measures for budgeting purposes. The OPM secretary must report on them annually to the Appropriations Committee. Do state agencies have these goals and objectives and performance measures in place? Are they used in the budgeting process? What is the status of the effort to encourage agencies to develop strategic business plans?

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