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AGENCY TESTIMONY
DVS budget focus and goals
0:32:35
ยท
68 sec
Commissioner Hendon outlines the agency's internal budget priorities and goals for the upcoming fiscal year.
- Focus on reducing the vacancy rate to less than 3% (38 out of 39 positions filled)
- Goal to increase the number of discretionary awards processed, particularly those valued at $20,000 or less
- Plan to gradually increase the number of awards processed each year
- Aim to process all small-dollar awards by FY2028
James Hendon
0:32:35
For DVS, specific to budget season, a focus for us is to strive to reduce our vacancy rate to less than 3%.
0:32:42
This involves the new hires I mentioned that we will make in the coming weeks.
0:32:46
A less than 3% vacancy rate translates into 38 out of 39 DVS positions filled.
0:32:51
My dream is to get us a % as we work internally on steps needed to fill that thirty ninth spot.
0:32:56
Another thing that we are mindful of this budget season is increasing the number of discretionary awards that we process.
0:33:02
Our goal is to action all counts of discretionary awards valued at $20,000 or less no later than f y twenty eight.
0:33:09
We are focusing on the $20,000 or less awards, the small dollar awards, because they speak directly to the needs of our community.
0:33:15
Thinking back to the creation of DVS, why veteran community members originally protested.
0:33:20
Smaller nonprofits that won these types of awards were the ones that experienced difficulty in dealing with larger non veteran specific agencies the Department for Youth and Community Development, the Department for the Aging, the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and the Department of Social Services.
0:33:33
We assumed five discretionary awards during f y twenty five as a pilot to learn the nuances of this work.
0:33:39
We're optimistic about increasing the number of awards gradually as each year goes by.