Photo By PAULA MULLER
Michael McClung, at home going over economic data about expenditures in Swampscott.
By GAYLA CAWLEY
SWAMPSCOTT — Results of a study looking at ways to improve efficiency in town government will be released by February, according to the chairman of the Regionalization Committee, Michael McClung.
McClung said he has been working with the Edward J. Collins Jr. Center for Public Management, an organization out of UMass-Boston, on the Services Delivery and Opportunities Report for The Town of Swampscott over the past year.
“The study is intended to look at departments across town government and identify places where there is opportunity for regionalization, consolidation or outsourcing,” McClung explained.
McClung said the study was intended to look at how the town delivers services and see if there are better ways to do so.
He reported that the Collins Center was chosen to conduct the study in January 2015. Actual work by the center began in April, because, according to McClung, there were some delays in getting the organization the information they needed. The Collins Center completed its initial interviews during the fall and a final first draft has been prepared for the Regionalization Committee.
The draft will be the subject of discussion between the Regionalization Committee and the center in a public meeting, which is conditionally set for either this week or next.
“I anticipate that some of my committee members will have comments and we will get a final version of the report after that,” McClung said.
McClung said the final version of the report is tentatively set to be released by late January or early February, “depending on how extensive the committee’s comments are at the next meeting.”
After that, a briefing session will be held between the Regionalization Committee, the Board of Selectmen, the School Committee and the Finance Committee, where results of the study will be shared. McClung said it is then up to those town and school boards to implement the findings of the study.
“I’m very encouraged by the first draft,” McClung said of the study. “They (the Collins Center) have taken a very detailed look at this town.”
Town Administrator Thomas Younger said the study is looking at the school department and general government, with “ways we may be more efficient.” He said he is never satisfied regarding operations and will be looking at anything in the study that can be utilized and implemented.
“We can always improve,” Younger said.
