The Department of Public Service’s current-year savings target is $6.1 million reflecting the Governor’s order for a 10.35 percent reduction in projected agency spending in 2008-09.
DPS is expected to exceed its total spending reduction target.
Major Savings Initiatives
The Department of Public Service will achieve its savings target primarily through non-personal service actions ($4.3 million). Key non-personal service actions include:
Significantly reducing travel by almost one-third of annual spending by limiting travel to health and safety and other critical priority business needs. This includes: reducing public statement hearings and minimizing more expensive downstate travel, e.g., holding selected rate case hearings and all Commission sessions in Albany.
Reduce contractual and equipment commitments. This includes: closing the Syracuse Regional office, lowering agency energy usage, suspending the Department’s membership in the National Regulatory Research Institute, reducing consultant contracts, and delaying agency-wide roll-out of new computers and other equipment replacement
Targeted personal service savings ($1.7 million) are expected to be achieved by: the additional use of Federal funds where possible, reducing outreach/education overtime, maximizing attrition savings, and requiring all stand-by work activity staff to be conducted by overtime ineligible staff.