State Department of Administrator head Mike Gwartney told lawmakers this morning that he's hoping to save the state millions through various consolidation efforts. "When I moved into this job we had 74 individual email plans," Gwartney told JFAC. "We've now taken that down to where about half the agencies are under one plan. Over this next year, we'll complete the rest." Consolidation of telephone systems has gone through "baby steps" so far but already is saving $100,000 a year, Gwartney said, though still, "the governor has to dial 12 numbers to get to my office." The Department of Administration is now providing bookkeeping and human resources for 25 state agencies that have requested it, he said.

He's estimating that future information technology consolidation could save the state $20 million a year. By consolidating the BSU postal service with that of the department, the state is saving $300,000 a year, Gwartney said. And he's looking "strongly" into centralizing fleet management, which he estimated could save the state $4.5 million a year. Various rule changes now pending in the Legislature could save the state $160,000 a year, he said. A consolidation of copy center functions has saved $127,000 a year, Gwartney said. "We've worked hard on elimination of duplication."

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