On the fiscal frontline, Governor J. Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma has launched a new offensive targeting the costly practice of replacing full-time state employees with independent contractors. Through Executive Order 2025-09, Stitt mandates that state agencies get their ledgers in order and provide detailed reports on their staffing maneuvers by Tuesday next week. This move is part of his broader strategy to diminish the size of state government while sidestepping any tricks that would inflate taxpayer expenses.
"Agencies must be fiscally responsible and transparent," Stitt said, according to the announcement on the governor's website. The report’s goal is to highlight any conversions of full-time equivalent (FTE) roles to costlier contractor positions, something the governor has deemed "unacceptable." In a pursuit for a leaner government, Stitt has made it clear that he aims to trim the number of state employees, but not through the questionable means of shifting from employee to independent contractor statuses that ultimately cost taxpayers more.
Each state agency must now sift through their records and submit a report to the Director of the Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES), as mandated by the new executive order. This documentation should reveal any FTE roles that have been replaced by contractors over the past year. Agencies are required to give an account that includes the current and previous year's FTE numbers, a comprehensive list of every FTE position that's been axed or left unfilled due to contracting practices, and the costs associated with these changes—an effort to ensure these alterations are indeed economical.
The essence of the Executive Order is less about bean-counting, but more about fiscal prudence. It demands agencies undertake a financial analysis to ascertain whether they've achieved a net savings or incurred a net cost by opting for contractors over full-time staffers. This analysis is aimed at ensuring that every taxpayer dollar is optimally utilized. "We can continue to serve Oklahomans while ensuring that every dollar is spent efficiently," Governor Stitt stated, reinforcing his commitment to a more streamlined and accountable government.
