New North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum said the state’s budget situation will force state government to change the way it operates.
Burgum met with his cabinet in Bismarck Thursday – and reporters were allowed to be in that meeting as the new Governor laid out his vision. No questions were taken.
Burgum told the cabinet the current budget situation is an opportunity.
"It gives us a chance not to think about changing our operations by one or two percent, with a little belt-tightening," Burgum said. "It forces us into a position of having to re-think how we deliver basic services, and how we as a government interact with the private sector. It gives us a chance to re-invent our approaches to education, health care, corrections, behavioral health -- and you pick it."
Burgum told members of his cabinet an agency’s success used to be measured – at least in part – on how big the agency’s budget is, and how much it increases. He said that needs to change.
"We don't want to be talking about how big people's budgets are," Burgum said. "We want to talk about how great their results were."
Burgum saids when it comes to budgets, everything should be on the table for discussion in the 2017 legislature. He said making changes will take some work – and asking the right questions.
"The challenge for us as leaders is to stop defending institutions, and start re-inventing them," Burgum said.
Burgum spokesman Mike Nowatski said the Governor will flesh out those concepts during his “state of the state” speech January 3rd.
