CFO Alex Sink Pulls the Plug on Cell Phones & Blackberries, Saving $210,000 Annually

On September 3, 2009, Florida CFO Alex Sink announced that her department will realize savings of $210,209 in state-paid annual wireless costs by implementing the recommendations of her Wireless Communications Cost Efficiency Teams report. CFO Sinks cost-cutting measures represent a 37% reduction in annualized costs for cell phones, BlackBerries, and air cards.

We are always looking for more efficient and cost-effective ways to do business and figuring out ways to cut cell phone and blackberry spending just made sense, said CFO Sink. We need to be doing everything we can in state government to cut waste and I am excited by the money we will save for the taxpayers of Florida.

CFO Sink launched her team in January 2009, and in May they offered recommendations for a more responsible approach to device assignment and services based on employee usage history. By disconnecting 116 BlackBerrys, 56 cellular phones, and 40 aircards that did not meet the newly established criteria, the Department of Financial Services (DFS) will realize an annual savings of $122,061. By matching employee usage to the most appropriate vendor, lowering monthly costs for air cards, and reducing unused services, DFS will realize an additional $88,148 in annual expected savings.

I hope these cost-cutting measures serve as an example for other state agencies, CFO Sink continued. My number one priority here in Tallahassee is to make sure our taxpayer dollars are being used wisely, and I know my work is never done.

For the past two years, CFO Sink has been an outspoken watchdog on behalf of Floridas taxpayers, pursuing cost saving measures in the Department of Financial Services. Because of cost saving and efficiency measures encouraged by CFO Sink, the department is projected to save $5.3 million in 2009.

Less than a year ago, CFO Sink announced plans to consolidate the Departments 11 consumer call centers into 2 call centers, saving millions and improving customer service. The call center consolidation took effect February 1, 2009 and has already saved nearly $727,000, with $2.25 million projected in annual, recurring savings. In March 2009, CFO Sink announced that her initiative to renegotiate existing department contracts already has saved Florida taxpayers more than $300,000.

At www.GetLeanFlorida.com, CFO Sink allows citizens to offer tips on how to cut government waste and inefficiencies. Get Lean has already received approximately 1,226 citizen suggestions since March 2009 about how state government can rein in wasteful spending and has passed these tips along to the agencies for action. Get For more information visit www.MyFloridaCFO.com.

# # #

As a statewide elected officer of the Florida Cabinet, CFO Alex Sink oversees the Department of Financial Services. A successful businesswoman with nearly three decades of experience in the private sector, Sink is serving her first term as Florida's CFO. As CFO, Sink's priorities include using her business experience to cut wasteful government spending, cracking down on financial and insurance fraud and reforming the state government's contracting practices.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Alex Sink
• CFO Sink
• Cutting Waste
• Fiscal Responsiblity
• Tax Savings
• Taxpayers
• Blackberries
• Cell Phones
• DFS
• State Government
• Cutting Spending