Turnaround Ohio aims to keep the jobs we have by investing in Ohio’s strengths while bringing us the jobs of the future by making sure we have the best educated and capable workforce possible.

Our priorities are clear. And The Ohio Government Accountability Plan demonstrates how we will live within our means and invest in what matters by focusing on core goals and directing the entire state government and budget toward meeting those goals. It is our roadmap to a lean, competitive, modern government that is a critical player in Ohio’s economic growth.

Unfortunately, Ohio’s current budget process simply recycles the previous budget without considering whether or not existing programs are working or the money being spent is furthering the goals of the people of Ohio. While there may be a few incremental changes, we largely do the same thing from biennium to biennium, making it harder for new and effective ideas to break through. The Strickland-Fisher Government Accountability Plan will lead us away from the repeated, thoughtless funding of mediocre programs. Instead, we will fund programs that are most valued and take us toward our goals of keeping and growing jobs in this state.

The Accountable Government approach is simple but powerful. We will govern for results based on a focused set of priorities. Here is how we will do it:

1. Set Goals
Ted Strickland puts education and jobs at the center of Turnaround Ohio, with specific goals to:

Raise Ohio’s per capita income rate above the national average for the first time since 1987 and reverse Ohio’s job losses by investing in Ohio’s strengths; and

Develop the jobs of the future by educating a strong, powerful workforce beginning with 230,000 more enrollees in education beyond high school and 20% more graduates over the next decade.

2. Ease the Burden of Regulations that Prohibit and Constrain Development in Ohio through “Advantage Ohio”

When government is inefficient, Ohio businesses and entrepreneurs pay the price. One specific area where this is especially true is the regulatory process. Ohioans, Ohio’s businesses and those looking to invest in Ohio pay dearly each day a permit sits on a government desk. To give Ohio a competitive advantage, a Strickland-Fisher Administration will take on both Ohio’s inefficient and drawn-out regulatory process as well as unnecessary, burdensome regulations themselves.

A Strickland-Fisher Administration, in partnership with Ohio’s businesses and the General Assembly, will institute Advantage Ohio, an across-the-board review of current regulations, eliminating those that are unnecessary, redundant and contradictory while establishing regulatory performance standards that will make Ohio a competitive place to do business. As part of Advantage Ohio, a Strickland-Fisher Administration will take a common-sense approach to regulation and, under appropriate circumstances, waive penalties and fees for small businesses who are first-time offenders of regulatory noncompliance.

3. Create a Roadmap to Results

Require collaboration across government and beyond and create a plan to reach the state’s goals.

4. Sign a Performance Contract with Every Department

Develop a performance contract with every state department to set priorities in line with the goals of the Governor and strategies to fund results.

5. Budget for Results

Budget for results and focus on key strategies to reach those results. Today, we pay for far too much that we don’t really want: job training for jobs that don’t exist and a health care system that doesn’t help people stay well and then pays dearly when they inevitably fall ill. We can do better, and we will.

The Governor and the Office of Budget and Management will start with a realistic look at how much money we have. Then priority funding must be for programs that will produce the core results that the public and Turnaround Ohio is committed to achieving. The Governor will work with the General Assembly to ensure that his priorities are accomplished.

These core results will drive the Strickland-Fisher Administration’s “Results Teams” to meet a specified set of goals for major state expenditures across agencies. Each team will include all Directors of departments that have some impact on the Administration’s core business results, joined by top experts in relevant fields from the public and private sector.

In addition to achieving key high-priority results, Directors of each department will be required to prioritize all their programs and initiatives and to fund them efficiently and effectively.

6. Establish a Priority Investment Fund

The Strickland-Fisher Administration will create a Priority Investment Fund to concentrate all savings, budget growth and underutilized funds on the priority strategies to turn around Ohio. In doing so, we can budget for impact and the results that will return Ohio to prosperity while continuing to live within our means.

A Strickland-Fisher Administration will take fiscal responsibility seriously. Therefore, we have priced each of the proposals in the Turnaround Ohio plan and have identified funding that allows us to invest in what matters and live within our means. Most of the proposals do not require new general revenue fund dollars. Where they do, savings from a top-to-bottom performance review of state government, power purchasing of products and services, lean business processes produced from regulatory reform, prevention strategies in healthcare and performance contracts that produce efficiencies, as well as natural revenue growth will be used. We will maximize and re-prioritize underutilized federal funds and bond proceeds for the remainder.

7. Create a State Scorecard

The Turnaround Ohio Government Accountability Plan transforms the way Ohio taxpayer dollars are spent. And the taxpayers will always know precisely how it is working. The Strickland-Fisher team will issue an annual Results Scorecard that will provide complete information about how money has been spent, and how many steps closer we have come toward reaching our priority results. The results, both good and bad, will be reported and the Administration will seek the input of the public about how we can see even more improvement.