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permitting and inspections, while improving facilities and internal capital project management. <br />In order to stay competitive with other counties within the Treasure Coast region and across the State, the <br />proposed budget includes Senior Management retirement classification for all Department Head and Assistant <br />Department Head positions. This retirement classification is consistent with the newly adopted at -will employment <br />policy that has been enacted for the entire Senior Management team. Additionally, several members of the Senior <br />Management team have been diligently working to complete the High -Performance Leadership Academy <br />sponsored by the National Association of Counties in collaboration with the Professional Development Academy. <br />This is a highly regarded leadership development program that enhances and equips our Leadership team in <br />leading change, with an emphasis on organization and supporting a culture of continued improvement and <br />performance. By the end of the current fiscal year, the County will have 15 staff members that have graduated <br />from the program. Training for additional Department Directors and Managers is included in the upcoming fiscal <br />year. <br />One of the critical focuses of the Strategic Plan is service excellence. Thus, we are proposing to continue investing <br />in developing our employees, especially in customer service and ways to improve our business processes. We've <br />included up to $25,000 in the proposed budget and are continuing to fund our employee tuition reimbursement <br />program. <br />Finalization and implementation of the strategic plan will happen over the upcoming fiscal year. Thirty-four <br />thousand five hundred dollars is being requested to fund software that will assist the departments with the <br />monitoring implementation of the Strategic Plan goals, objectives and strategies. <br />Employee benefit costs continue to rise. The Florida Retirement System employer rate increase totals $1,254,455 <br />Countywide across all funds, including Constitutional Officers, while Worker's Compensation costs are rising by lonft <br />$1,135,137. <br />Enhancing our organization to address staffing level deficiencies has been prioritized in the FY 2024/2025 budget. <br />While unable to accommodate all requested positions in the upcoming fiscal year, we evaluated each <br />Department's request and prioritized needs to promote service excellence. In total, 37 additional Board positions <br />are being proposed at a cost of $3,450,424. The following table lists the Department/Division requested full-time <br />positions to fulfill the Divisions' current needs versus the full-time positions that are being recommended. <br />Department/Division <br />Requested <br />Recommended <br />Difference <br />County Administration <br />2 <br />2 <br />0 <br />County Attorney <br />1 <br />1 <br />0 <br />Community Services <br />3 <br />0 <br />-3 <br />ARP Fund <br />-1 <br />-1 <br />0 <br />Parks, Recreation & Conservation <br />11 <br />5 <br />-6 <br />Emergency Services <br />27 <br />8 <br />-19 <br />Office of Management & Budget <br />1 <br />1 <br />0 <br />Information Technology <br />2 <br />1 <br />-1 <br />Human Resources <br />2 <br />2 <br />0 <br />Natural Resources <br />3 <br />1 <br />-2 <br />Planning & Development Services <br />6 <br />0 <br />-6 <br />Building & Facilities Services <br />6 <br />6 <br />0 <br />Public Works <br />2 <br />1 <br />-1 <br />Utility Services/SWDD <br />15 <br />10 <br />-5 <br />Total <br />80 <br />37 <br />-43 <br />* Some positions will be transferred and or reclassified during Fiscal Year 2024/2025 related to the <br />reorganization and creation of Building & Facilities Services and once the Compensation Study is completed. <br />3 <br />