I got this release on Monday from OC Treasurer Chriss Street’s office. It seems that the National Association of Counties has given Street a National Award for Innovation and Government Solutions.
(Santa Ana, CA) – The National of Association Counties (NACo) has announced that the Orange County Treasurer’s Office has been awarded a 2008 National Achievement Award for its efforts to modernize and streamline county government services. Created as part of NACo’s New County, USA campaign, the Achievement Awards Program gives national recognition to inventive government solutions and county accomplishments. The Treasurer’s Office is the only department in Orange County to receive this special commendation.Â
The “County Model Program” initiated by the Treasurer’s Office found new uses for its state-of the-art remittance processing equipment which handles the $5 billion dollars of taxes received annually. The equipment processes over one million tax bills over a three week period biannually but had excess capacity during much of the year. Chriss Street, Orange County Treasurer, partnered with other Departments around the County to leverage the underutilized capacity and assist them in their monthly billing and collecting for County Services.
This is of course, a reversal of fortune for Street, who has been criticized for his risky investment policies.
At any rate, congrats to the Treasurer and his staff on the recognition. I guess it is better than more bad news about the performance of SIV’s.