San Mateo County Grand Jury
• 2012-2013
County Lacks Firm Basis for Outsourcing Work; Charter Revision Recommended Summary | Background | Methodology |
⚠️ Translation Notice: This content has been automatically translated. The original English text is the official version. Translation may contain errors.
⚠️ Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.
Findings and Recommendations 4 findings
F1
Outsourcing is a point of contention between the County and the two leading unions representing County employees.
Related Recommendations (1)
R1
Submit to the voters for approval a Charter amendment that would allow outsourcing at the County Manager’s discretion.
F2
A Charter revision that clearly authorizes the County Manager to contract out work when deemed economically and/or operationally beneficial would provide improved legal standing for outsourcing.
Related Recommendations (1)
R2
Establish clear lines of communication among all parties involved in making the County function as a unit, from managers to employees to unions.
F3
Outsourcing flexibility would give the County another management tool to use when determining how best to deliver services.
No recommendations for this finding
F4
Communication among the County and the two unions representing the majority of County employees appears less than optimal. 8
No recommendations for this finding
Conclusions 1
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CL1 Page 8Understanding and utilizing the latest information, communication, and technical skill sets are crucial to the success of any business, whether public or private. Because technology is seemingly out of date by the time it is installed and workloads in many departments can fluctuate significantly, the County should have the legal right that it once had, which is to utilize outside contractors when the County Manager deems it economically and/or operationally necessary. As such, the Board should submit for voter approval a Charter provision granting the County an unrestricted right to outsource. For a comparative reference, the Board can consider the following provision in the Los Angeles County charter: Nothing in this Article shall prevent the County, when the Board of Supervisors finds that work can more economically or feasibly be performed by independent contractors, from entering into contracts for the performance of such work. The Board of Supervisors shall adopt an ordinance specifying criteria for entering into contracts, and specifying competitive bidding procedures for the award of such contracts, if appropriate.
No Responses Found 1
Government entities assigned to respond to this report. No response documents have been linked in our database.
San Mateo County Board of Supervisors
Elected County Office