Source: Addison Independent, November 22, by John Flowers
“MIDDLEBURY — “Challenges for Change” has largely been portrayed as an effort by the Douglas administration and the 2010 Legislature to save $38 million in state spending by making government programs more lean and efficient. [More ...]
Tags: Addison County Housing Coalition, Challenges for Change, Counseling Service of Addison County, the Hill House
Source: Burlington FreePress, November 15, by Nancy Remsen
“Neither the Douglas administration nor lawmakers have panicked yet that an experimental initiative to restructure some areas of state government — known as Challenges for Change — hasn’t yielded financial savings as fast as planned.
The budget bill the Legislature passed and Gov. Jim Douglas signed this year banked on $37.8 million in savings from dozens of changes intended to improve services and cost less. Estimated savings to date: About $8 million less than the goal.
“The bottom line to me is this was an ambitious project. It was all new,” said Sen. Diane Snelling, R-Chittenden. She helped write the budget bill and now heads the Government Accountability Committee, a panel charged with overseeing the restructuring initiatives. “I don’t think anybody ever thought it was going to be easy. I do have faith we can get there.”
State officials have yet to identify about $3 million in savings but have earmarked $5 million “bridge funding” to cover some of the $8 million gap. Other projections also may not be firm, Finance Commissioner Jim Reardon noted in an Oct. 19 update…”
Full story: State savings initiative about $8 million short.
PDF of story: State savings initiative about $8 million short.
Tags: Challenges for Change, Diane Snelling, Douglas Administration
Source: Times Argus, September 14, 2010
By: Louis Porter
“MONTPELIER — While this year’s political races have been getting plenty of attention, the Challenges for Change restructuring plan for Vermont government is quietly being implemented through state agencies. No matter which candidate wins in November, how that is done will likely have a profound impact on what state government looks like. [More ...]
Tags: Challenges for Change, government, Vermont
Source: Vermont Public Radio, 5/24/2010
Sarah Ashworth
“(Host) As part of the “Challenges for Change” legislation that lawmakers passed this session, the state plans to release more non-violent offenders from prison to save money. But when those inmates leave prison before their maximum sentence is up, they’re required to find stable housing. [More ...]
Tags: Challenges for Change, Department of Corrections, Halfway house, Transitional Housing
Source: WCAX.com
Montpelier, Vermont – May 13, 2010
“The 2010 legislative session is officially over after the final gavel fell early this morning.
Lawmakers wrapped up their work just after midnight after agreeing on a budget with Gov. Jim Douglas, R-Vermont, and avoiding a veto showdown. [More ...]
Tags: Budget, Challenges for Change, Legislature
Source: vtdigger.org, April 15, 2010
“Any 82-page bill is a chore to read, but H.792, Challenges for Change 2, is even more challenging than usual. That’s because the bill is a laundry list of statutory alterations designed to grease the wheels for the reorganization of state government under Act 68 (a.k.a Challenges 1), which was enacted in February. [More ...]
Tags: Challenges for Change
Source: Brattleboro Reformer, April 10, 2010
“BRATTLEBORO — The House Appropriations Committee voted out the Challenges for Change legislation Friday evening after receiving an estimated $20 million in recommended savings from House delegates.
Only weeks away from adjournment, lawmakers pushed to find an another $18 million (for a total of $38 million) to continue to push Vermont on a path to identify potential savings for government services. [More ...]
Tags: Challenges for Change
Source: Times Argus, April 7, 2010
By Louis Porter, Vermont Press Bureau
“MONTPELIER – The restructuring proposal dubbed Challenges for Change was designed to make state government more efficient, not just cut more than $30 million in state spending. But advocate after advocate testified before lawmakers and administration officials Tuesday evening that the proposal, as drafted by the administration of Gov. James Douglas, would have the same effect as a straight budget cut on their organizations and programs. [More ...]
Tags: Advocates, Challenges for Change, State Policy
By Nancy Remsen
Source: Burlington Free Press, April 4, 2010
“MONTPELIER — The Legislature and the Douglas administration faced a barrage last week after Vermonters got their first glimpse of how state government would be altered under a budgeting experiment dubbed “Challenges for Change.”
“Clearly the proposals put on the table Tuesday shook things up and engendered a fair amount of pushback,” said House Speaker Shap Smith, D-Morristown.
Smith wasn’t backing away from the unusual process. “We still see this as a way to improve outcomes by rethinking the way services are delivered. It’s not just about the money, it is about improving the results we get.” [More ...]
Tags: AHS, Budget, Challenges for Change, Human Services
“The draft legislation for “Challenges for Change,” the government reorganization plan lawmakers and the administration are pursuing as a way to cut costs and make state services more efficient, hit a speed bump Wednesday. [More ...]
Tags: budget cuts, Challenges for Change, State Budget/Funding
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