Dennis Mendiola
SENATE President Dennis James C. Mendiola last week prefiled Senate Bill 24-10, which would transfer the Office of Management and Budget to the Department of Finance.
Right now, OMB is under the Office of the Governor and is headed by Special Assistant for Management and Budget Vicky Villagomez.
S.B. 24-10 states that “there have been some discrepancies between the OMB and the Department of Finance regarding the government’s annual operating budget and other financial matters.”
To promote cooperation, efficiency and transparency, the bill states that “it would be beneficial to transfer OMB to DOF so that there is unified position on all matters about management and budget.”
Once S.B. 24-10 becomes law, the OMB will be headed by a director who will be responsible for all matters concerning management and budget on a day-to-day basis. In addition, the OMB director will be responsible for improving and coordinating the management of the Commonwealth government.
According to the bill, the OMB director will ensure discipline in government programs and activities for consistency with the governor’s policies and budget, improve government efficiency by reducing duplication and overlaps between and among agencies, and assist department and activity heads in internal organization and management to achieve maximum effectiveness at minimum cost to taxpayers.
