« Gwinnett to consider privatization of planning »

The Gwinnett County Commission has created a committee to examine whether some of the county planning department functions should be privatized.  The committee was formed after new District 4 Commissioner John Heard initially pushed "to consider allowing private professionals to approve building plans."  Heard later yielded to a more broad-cased review.

I am encouraged to see a new member of the board quickly moving to examine the size and scope of county government.  I am discouraged, however, that the lone dissenting vote to forming the committee came from the other freshman commissioner, Lynette Howard of District 2.  While Howard has a valid point that the department is already lean on costs due to "downsizing along with the economy," what is the harm in examining whether outsourcing may be appropriate?  The committee may decide that privatization is not warranted.  Dekalb County considered a similar move but found that, after the downturn, "fee revenue recovered enough to support the department."  In fact, for a department that is conducting an essential role of government (and, to be fair, we could debate whether planning and zoning should be a role of government), if that department can cover its costs through fees collected from those using its services as opposed to being funded by general tax dollars, such a structure should be a model for government to follow.  

Where I must question Howard is her other reason for opposing the committee:

“I don’t want some building not being built to specifications of safety,” said Commissioner Lynette Howard, who cast the lone vote against creating the study committee.

Why can only government ascertain whether a building is built to the proper safety specifications?  What characteristic of government imbues it with an ability to discern safety issues that an unbiased, private third party does not have?  If the reviewer of building plans were paid and/or hired by the builder, then I see a cause for concern and a potential conflict of interest.  However, simply privatizing this role into an unaffilitated third party does not create such a conflict.

I don't really take issue with the Gwinnett planning department.  Rather, I think the planning department often, wisely and fairly, recommends approval for projects that ultimately are denied by a politician.  Nevertheless, I will typically support an objective analysis of whether any function of government can be made more effective and/or efficient by outsourcing it to a private enterprise.  For pushing for such an analysis, I heartily applaud John Heard.  I only wonder why Lynette Howard would oppose this analysis.  I just hope that this is not a sign of another big government Republican on the Gwinnett County Commission.  We have had more than enough of those in recent years.