In a motion by Powys County Council’s Reform group leader Cllr Iain McIntosh and fellow Reform Cllr Geoff Morgan have put forward a motion to call for “a dedicated DOGE Officer and assigning clear cabinet-level oversight to government efficiency”.
The councillors argue that “many forward-thinking local authorities and public bodies are now adopting a more strategic and structured approach to efficiency — embedding it at both officer and political leadership levels.”
DOGE came to worldwide prominence due to the actions of Elon Musk in the Trump administration.
It made series of controversial moves in the US, which have included the laying-off of workers at veteran’s affairs, sweeping redundancies across government sectors and drastic cuts to overseas aid which included HIV treatment to children.
Cllr McIntosh and Cllr Morgan go on to argue that “the concept of a Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has emerged in public sector innovation circles as a way of ensuring that efficiency is treated as a constant priority — not an occasional project.
“By appointing a dedicated DOGE Officer and assigning clear Cabinet-level oversight to Government Efficiency, Powys County Council can demonstrate a serious and visible commitment to continuous improvement.”
Cllr Iain McIntosh and Cllr Geoff Morgan have called for a DOGE officer at Powys County Council (Image: Powys County Council)
In recent years Powys County Council have made a series of controversial proposals to find efficiencies to deal with budget deficits.
This has included the potential closure of many of the county’s leisure centres, the sale of millions of pounds worth of tenant farms and even the removal of flagpoles.
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A financial assessment by Powys County Council related to the motion found that the pay grade required, a DOGE officer’s salary would be as much as £74,306.
It also found that “the external cost of recruitment to ensure the advert was circulated widely and in the right publications, to secure strong applicants, could cost in the region of £2,000 to £5,000”.
It also notes that “there are existing resources across the Council that cover elements of the requirement, and a dedicated officer is likely to duplicate activities currently undertaken in Services and Finance”.