Governor Mark Warner has announced he will sign an executive order for an inspector general, a long sought addition to government by Del. Gary Reese, one of the 17 delegates considering the House compromise budget bill. The order presumably also calls for future budget bills “to set forth each agency’s mission, goals and objectives, objective performance measures and descriptions of (i) how the goals and objectives are directly related to furthering the agency’s mission, and (ii) how the agency is operating to achieve its mission, goals and objectives,” as outlined in Reese’s Budget Reform and State Inspector General Act of 2004.
Reese’s bill would provide for the IG to conduct “independent evaluations of the programs and activities of such agencies, and investigate complaints alleging fraud, waste, abuse, or corruption by state officers and state employees. A record exemption from the Freedom of Information Act is also provided for investigative notes, correspondence and information furnished in confidence to the State Inspector General during the investigation of a complaint.”
In many ways, a simpler budget would be a good thing, but I find it ironic that Republicans, many of whom complain about government administrative inefficiencies, would seek to smother government with another layer of review. And when you read Reese’s bill, it seems to require a lot from eacy agency, for better or worse.