The Momentum Of Bureaucracy

Zachary Posner, CIO, Salt Lake County

Drawing from his firsthand experience as CIO of Salt Lake County, Zachary Posner examines the relentless expansion of government bureaucracy in this insightful analysis. Through real-world examples, he highlights the unintended burdens of well-meaning legislation and offers practical strategies to streamline oversight, reduce inefficiencies and refocus government on delivering real value to constituents.

Local Government And The Casual Creation Of Work

Bureaucracies grow. Everyone, liberals and conservatives alike, points to red tape, costs and inefficiencies in government. But where does bureaucracy come from and how can we fix it?

First, a confession: I am a bureaucrat. I run Information Technology for a large county in Utah, giving me a unique perspective. Government can (and mostly does) serve its constituents well, but its expansion is often incremental and constant.

Take a recent example. Utah passed a Right to Privacy Bill allowing citizens to know what information their government collects about them, why and how it will be used. The bill’s fiscal note estimated $2.5 million annually for the state and $600,000 to start. However, what about counties, cities and water districts? The note vaguely states, “Local governments could incur costs.”

My county, about a quarter the size of the state in employees, falls under the same provisions. The state advisor explained compliance requirements: a Privacy Officer, annual training for 6,500 employees (adding up to three full-time positions), development and maintenance of training materials, reporting to state auditors, handling citizen complaints and working with legal teams. In total, a single bill created the workload of ten full-time staff, much of it absorbed as “other duties as assigned” until new hires become necessary.

“Bureaucracy’s Momentum Won’t Stop Overnight, But We Can Take Steps To Slow Its Unchecked Expansion”

The previous year, a security bill forced us to move to a gov domain. “Free” resources still require effort—our web team spent months updating links, testing and transitioning agencies and partners. Add to that new business cards, stationery and signage. And this is just IT. Every year, new laws and administrative rules pile on more requirements, rarely removing old ones.

Who gets elected by advocating for less transparency, oversight, or public input? No one. These rules are almost always additive. Meanwhile, employees rarely challenge unnecessary regulations, as breaking policy is the only surefire way to get fired. Want to change something? Better check with the District Attorney’s office or HR.

In the private sector, fixing a billing mistake is simple— just correct the invoice. In government, I found we had overbilled a partner agency. Easy fix? Not quite. Our internal service agreement didn’t anticipate errors, so legal approval was required to avoid charging for services never rendered.

Traveling for work is another bureaucratic maze. In my private-sector days, I got a verbal OK from my boss and booked my trip. In government, admin staff spend hours preparing a travel packet—flights, conference times, GSA meal rates, baggage fees—requiring multiple signatures. By the time approval comes through, hotel and airfare prices have risen, making the process slower and costlier.

Government tracks assets worth more than $100, requires multiple bids for low-cost purchases, and mandates extensive RFP processes for larger ones. Audits come from the state executive branch, the legislative branch, county auditors and federal agencies. Hiring and firing involve extensive oversight. Ironically, in ensuring no taxpayer money is wasted, we often waste more of it.

1. Streamline Oversight – Centralize audits to prevent agencies from answering the same questions multiple times. Sunset outdated policies that still dictate daily operations. Focus on working for constituents rather than mere compliance.

2. Hold Legislators Accountable For Unfunded Mandates – Raising taxes is unpopular, but shifting costs to local governments is the legislative equivalent of your cousin Larry ordering drinks on your tab and leaving before the check arrives.

3. Challenge the Need for More Staff – If a publicsector role mirrors one in the private sector but requires more people, ask why. Some differences are justified—government operates in decades, not fiscal quarters and can’t go bankrupt. But other inefficiencies stem from excessive compliance burdens.

4. Question Low-Value Work – If a task provides no direct value but is required by regulation, ask what happens if it’s skipped. Often, it’s an oversight requirement adding little tangible benefit. Front-line managers can pinpoint volumes of mandatory but low-value tasks.

5. Prioritize Outcomes Over Process – We track boxes checked, not results. I can tell you, to the penny, how much an agency spends on server time but not what value that brings to constituents.

This approach requires sacrificing control—more fiction than reality—for efficiency. Bureaucracy’s momentum won’t stop overnight, but we can take steps to slow its unchecked expansion. Government should focus less on counting pennies and more on delivering real value.