The “DOGE fever” that swept the country earlier this year when President Trump unleashed Elon Musk to slash government spending may have broken, at least at the federal level, but the variant that took hold in New Hampshire just spawned a fresh list of ideas to make the state government more efficient.
Governor Kelly Ayotte, a Republican, released a 77-page report on Thursday that outlines recommendations from the Commission on Government Efficiency that she formed in January. Unlike Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, which took a hands-on role in slapdash cuts to federal spending, Ayotte’s commission was tasked with filtering recommendations through her office.
“One of the things I have an opportunity to do with this COGE report is decide what I think is best,” Ayotte told reporters in her office last week, before the report was released, noting that she plans to scrutinize the recommendations and pursue those that would improve the government. “If I don’t agree with it, obviously I would tell people why.”
The final report was prepared by COGE’s co-chairs — former governor Craig Benson and businessman H. Andy Crews — but the governor’s office and one other person appointed to the commission said it reflects input from all 15 members and the various stakeholders who shared feedback and ideas.
Some recommendations involve creative ideas to raise revenues, such as loosening restrictions around sponsorships and naming rights for state parks, recreation areas, and cultural institutions. Under current law, the division of parks and recreation needs approval from the Executive Council to accept gifts exceeding $2,500 in value.
“Adjusting this limit would allow the state to attract larger-scale sponsorships and make greater use of private investment in maintaining public assets,” the report states, adding that the state would need to exercise care to “maintain the character and integrity of public spaces.”
Other recommendations spotlight areas where the state could potentially cut costs, such as by addressing “administrative overhead” in the University System of New Hampshire, reorganizing the Department of Business and Economic Affairs, reducing the number of public information officers, and consolidating some of the legal teams that represent various state agencies.
Many of the recommendations call for a more detailed review to identify what actions may be feasible and beneficial.
One specific recommendation calls for the state to require in-person work for state employees in most cases.
“While remote work arrangements were necessary during the pandemic, they are not a sustainable long-term model for an organization whose mission depends on teamwork, public access, and responsive service,” the report states.
In releasing the COGE report, Ayotte said the document reflects many meaningful opportunities, though she highlighted three that she said have “especially strong potential.” Those include adopting a “one in, two out” approach to rulemaking; building a framework for artificial intelligence innovation; and using some sort of customer relationship management (CRM) software to track and coordinate interactions between individuals and various state agencies.
“This report shows,” Ayotte said, “that when we focus on making operations better, we can deliver more value for taxpayers and build a more modern, efficient, and responsive government for all of New Hampshire.”
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Steven Porter can be reached at steven.porter@globe.com. Follow him @reporterporter.