By Gina Jordan
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wfsu/local-wfsu-885636.mp3
Tallahassee, FL – Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink has announced a plan to streamline middle management in her department, and she's encouraging other state agencies to do the same. She expects to save millions of dollars in the next year and a half.
The CFO says she's been working on this plan for six months.
"We ought to be all about finding ways to save money so that we can protect front line people who serve Floridians, like teachers and firefighters and law enforcement."
Sink will consolidate positions to reach an average of one manager for every seven employees. Right now, the ratio is about one supervisor for every five staffers. Sink's Chief of Staff, Tammy Teston, says middle managers who resign or retire won't be replaced.
"We do have, for instance, entry level supervisor jobs, assistant bureau chiefs, those types of positions that we would be looking at to increase the amount of employees that we have reporting to each supervisor."
Based on normal turnover within the Department of Financial Services, Sink says cost savings would be between eight and ten million dollars a year. She says the state could save as much as $277-million if other agencies would adopt the plan.
Sink is running for the Democratic nomination for governor.