County commissioners approve budget amendment to add director of efficiency position

On Sept. 3, the Utah County Commission voted 2-1 to approve an amendment to the county budget to provide funding for a director of efficiency position. The commission approved the item during its regular meeting after a brief discussion about whether the role should be filled through direct hire or a contract.

The budget amendment was approved with a motion described in the meeting as "approve item number 11 with the reduction of the 70,000 towards director of efficiency." A commissioner moved the measure and another seconded; the motion passed 2 to 1. A county staff member said, "It's using savings, so there literally is no change to the budget."

The discussion focused on how to add the position rather than on new budget authority. One commissioner said they preferred to wait until the upcoming budget cycle for more information; another described being open to contracting for the role now and negotiating details later. Staff clarified that the funding comes from savings and that a staffing plan or a contract would return on a subsequent agenda for further action.

The commission also discussed practical concerns about how a director of efficiency would access county systems and staff resources, with one commissioner noting the irony of creating an efficiency director who might initially lack direct system access. The approved amendment preserves the funding authority, while leaving the decision on hiring method and implementation to later proceedings.

There were no public comments on the item before the commission moved into closed session later in the meeting.