County’s New Agency

* Normally, when government merges agencies, especially when it means consolidation of duplicated services, I am in support. However, in the case of the fast-tracked folding of the County Behavioral Health Department into the Public Social Services Agency to create a mega-bureaucracy, I am not convinced we will get better government.

The key problem is nobody really knows whether the new Human Services Agency, formally created by the Board of Supervisors at the dais April 7 but formalized well beforehand, will improve or worsen services to the public.

The 3-2 vote occurred without a staff report or even an organizational chart for a massive new agency proposed verbally on the spot. There was public testimony but no formal hearing, which I believe is absolutely necessary for such a draconian change.

The board hastily moved 600 employees and $50 million to create a new mega-agency yet chose to avoid careful analysis, which is strange considering how common it is for the county to engage in prolonged study even with noncontroversial issues.

The board approved a vague verbal proposal that apparently three supervisors were aware of beforehand. Two supervisors, myself included, were unaware that a proposal was forthcoming.

The Human Services Agency was born magically with the wave of a wand. It was the worst public policy process I have ever witnessed.

The issue was about kingdom-building, power and personalities. The change conflicts with everything discussed by the board in recent years--downsizing, saving money, offering better services and improving accountability with users and taxpayers.

What was built formally April 7 was a larger, more expensive and less accountable organization. And for what? The county’s mental health and alcohol and drug abuse systems worked fine before April 7, with service delivery up and costs down. What was the real motive for the change? It appears bureaucrats were put before the people.

I can’t believe the press, the public and the taxpayers are not outraged at such a blatant disregard for proper public policy procedures and obvious political power plays. The Human Services Agency will continue to metamorphose into something in coming months. We need to be prepared to ask valid and prodding questions that already should have been answered.

JUDY MIKELS

Chair, Ventura County

Board of Supervisors