The Ohio Chamber of Commerce and the Ohio Metro Chambers of Commerce reported last week the progress that has been made since the 2010 release of Redesigning Ohio: Transforming Government into a 21st Century Institution, which provided a series of recommendations aimed at “reforming Ohio’s regulatory climate, and achieving local government efficiencies through shared services and cost-cutting,” according to a press release from the Greater Cleveland Partnership. The update found that many of the initial report’s suggestions have been implemented, which has helped to “slow the increasing cost of Medicaid,” reign in the cost of the state’s criminal justice system, “eliminate an $8 billion budget shortfall without raising taxes” and reduce the state’s unemployment rate from 9.2 percent in December 2010 to 6.9 percent in August 2012, the release said. In addition to suggesting an ongoing commitment to all of the initial recommendations, the chambers recommend that priority be given to:
- Improving the efficiency and effectiveness of local governments
- Helping state and local governments become more results-driven
- Performing a dynamic analysis of Ohio tax expenditures
- Improving healthcare outcomes and related Medicaid cost
- Reforming the public primary and secondary education system for continued education improvement
For more, read the full Greater Cleveland Partnership press release, this WTVN story, the 2010 report and the 2012 update.
