Gov. Rick Scotts budget recommendations will not be released until next week, but the kind of proposals his office has preferred so far reveal his approach to providing the savings he promised as a candidate.
In his first position in an elected office, Scott is taking the same approach to Florida as he did as a business executive -- find efficiencies and redundancies, make cuts and save money.
To that end, Scott and his advisers have suggested rearranging a veritable alphabet soup of agencies. One of the earliest recommendations from Scotts transition team was to merge the Department of Community Affairs, the Department of Transportation and the Department of Environmental Protection. Hes backed off that option in recent weeks, however.
I have no proposal on that right now, Scott said during a press conference Tuesday.
But other agency merger proposals appear to be moving ahead. Scott advisers have suggested consolidating the Department of Children and Families, the Agency for Persons with Disabilities, the Agency for Health Care Administration and the Department of Health into a new Department of Health and Human Services.
The move has already found legislative support with bills being filed in both chambers by Sen. Steve Oelrich, R-Gainesville, and Rep. Janet Adkins, R-Fernandina Beach, to combine the agencies.
Another Scott proposal with legislative momentum is a plan to consolidate the licensing and regulation of drugs, devices and cosmetics from the DOH to the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Scott announced the plan Monday, and along with moving all tax-collection functions into the Department of Revenue, it is expected to generate $1 billion in savings over the next two years.
The Senate Budget Subcommittee on General Government Appropriations filed a bill the same day Scott announced his plan that would create the Florida Drug, Device and Cosmetic Trust Fund to aid in the consolidation.
Scott has also been vocal about his desire to bring back the Department of Commerce, with economic development programs like Enterprise Florida and the Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development under its control. The business-savvy governor has taken a hands-on approach to economic development, firing Enterprise Florida president John Adams and stating his preference for having the Department of Commerce located close to his office.
Cabinet officers have also pledged to look for savings and close or merge offices if possible, but so far have not given Scott any concrete plans.
"The attorney general's office is still in the process of reviewing opportunities to create efficiencies," Jennifer Krell Davis, a spokeswoman for Attorney General Pam Bondi, said.
Scotts office has been short on details of his budget plan in the lead up to the unveiling of the proposal he will submit to the Legislature on Monday, but did offer specifics of his plan to save $2.8 billion over two years by reducing state and government employee pension benefits.
His plan would require the 655,000 workers, 122,000 of which are state employees, to contribute 5 percent of their salaries to their pension plans, require new employees to join a defined contribution plan instead of the more popular defined benefit plan currently offered, reduce the annual service credit from 3 percent to 1.6 percent for most workers and phase out the Deferred Retirement Option Program.
Legislative leaders have stated that if Scott hopes to fill Floridas $3.6 billion deficit and pay for $2 billion in tax cuts he pledged as a candidate, the savings will have to come from state worker benefits, education spending and Medicaid reforms, since the vast majority of the states spending is tied up in those programs.
Scott favors merit pay and greater accountability for teachers -- Sen. Stephen Wise, R-Jacksonville, filed a merit pay bill Monday -- but the former executive of health-care company Colombia/HCA hasnt spoken out a lot about Medicaid reforms, preferring to hold back details of his budget until next week.
A spokesperson for Scotts office did not return calls and e-mails for comment Wednesday. Gov. Scott will unveil his budget plans Monday at a tea party event in Eustis.
Reach Gray Rohrer at grohrer@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
