Late last year (and in the bitter cold) the County executive team sponsored the Employee Connection. This event had approximately 30 County departments showcasing their services and it was a lot to take in. This is a pretty impressive program for the simple reason that I think most people have no idea what a County does. That includes me and other employees. Thirty County departments! That seems like a large number.
First, some perspective. The County employs approximately 5,200
people. If you look at the revenues and expenditures of the County, it ranks in
the low 800s of the Fortune 1,000 list.
That is a major corporation by any metric.
Now back to the main thrust of the post. Based on the department phone list that was
emailed out in late January, I count between 35 to 40 departments. The exact number is difficult for me to
determine since some departments are in a larger division. Of course, you know
several of them. Examples are public works, permitting, planning, economic
development, police, fire response, parks, finance, library, budget, and
tourism. These are the standard services you find offered by most local
governments.
But did you know the County also has departments
for environmental sustainability, DEI, aging, housing, veterinary services, and
human rights. It is an impressive list
of services for citizens.
If you are interested, take a look at the County
annual report. It is the type of good
news document that you would expect. Please
note that I am not a County “cheerleader” in any respect. The report highlights accomplishments and
considerable data. You may notice a couple of items. For example, the formation
of new departments/offices. In government, when in doubt, form a new office. Also, in my opinion, business and government
often confuse processes with outcomes.
For example, stating that you had five meetings with 100 total attendees
is a process. What is the outcome? Most
of the time it goes unanswered. (these
two observations are for another post)
However, it is an impressive (and highly readable) document if you wonder what all 5,200 of us County employees do. I suspect each citizen thinks about their needs (or not) and do not realize the comprehensive services offered by their tax dollars. You can read other County publications like the budget (and accompanying justification) which is dense and lengthy, invaluable if you enjoy it. In my opinion, the County annual report is a unique vehicle for all citizens to better understand their local government.
Prince William County County Executive Year in Review by
pwcdpr - Issuu
