Among other audit findings, auditors found that most local government officials think that state imposed mandates on local government are appropriate if at least partially funded. Still, most local officials say that inadequate funding for mandates coupled with state imposed fiscal restraints makes it difficult to fulfill mandates and take care of local priorities. The auditors pointed out that while the Legislature has tools to measure the impact of mandates, these tools are a bit rusty. For instance, the local, fiscal impact note process, established in 1997 and designed to measure a mandate s fiscal impact on local and county government, has been used just eight times, auditors report. The auditors also noted that the fiscal note process is further limited by its lateness in the legislative process.
Bills are often out of policy committees before fiscal impact notes are prepared.
In reviewing the audit s recommendations, the auditors suggested that local government does not feel like it s being treated as a partner by state government. Local government is treated more as a lobbyist than as a partner, said Charles Meyer, chairman of the Best Practices Local Government Advisory Council. Local government and state government do not trust each other, he said. Meyer said the current relationship between state and local government is comparable to that of an employer and employee. Sometimes the boss needs to sit down with the employee and sort out differences, he explained.