Contact: Donald McFarland | 651-236-0494

Saint Paul, MN – “Performance measurements are about the adage ‘what gets measured gets done,’” said State Auditor Julie Blaha. “The power of this report is it helps local governments focus on their priorities.”

The Minnesota Local Performance Measurement Program supports counties and cities in their efforts to measure specific local government functions and to encourage citizen input on ways to better deliver local government services.

This voluntary program requires participating counties and cities to adopt a standard set of ten performance measures to help residents and elected officials evaluate the efficacy of the services and programs provided. The program also measures residents' opinions of these functions and can assist in resource allocation decisions.

“Local leaders have the flexibility to choose the specific functions that are measured. This local control can help communities improve the quality, outcomes, and cost-effectiveness of services and programs,” added Blaha.

Examples of performance measures adopted by local governments include measuring public safety performance by fire and EMS response times, public works on the timeliness of snow plowing, and public health/social services on the quality of the water supply or cost effectiveness of child support programs.

A county or city that elects to participate in the performance measurement program is eligible for a reimbursement of $0.14 per capita, not to exceed $25,000.

In 2021, 37 cities (4%) and 28 counties (32%) were certified by the Office of the State Auditor (OSA) to the Minnesota Department of Revenue to receive additional aid payments. This was an increase of four cities and three counties from 2020. Since 2011, the program has paid out an average of $450,000 per year to local governments.

Detailed information on how local governments can participate in the Local Performance Measurements Program can be found here.

Click here to view the complete report.

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