Clay County commissioners unanimously approved an updated strategic plan on Tuesday, January 27, incorporating changes that expand health and safety goals while improving transparency in government operations.
The plan, presented by Assistant County Manager Troy Nagle introduces several new performance indicators designed to measure county services more effectively over the next five years.
Key Changes to Strategic Plan
The updated plan includes a new tracking metric for total inpatients served in county-owned facilities, a measure requested by Commissioner Alexandra Compere. The addition addresses concerns about measuring the county’s direct impact on healthcare services.
In the area of community health and safety, commissioners approved a goal to reduce premature deaths in the county by 5 percent. While acknowledging the county cannot directly control mortality rates, officials pointed to opioid prevention services and other health initiatives as contributing factors.
“While that’s not something the county can directly control,” Nagle told commissioners, “the services we’re trying to [provide] with opioids and things is to reduce those premature deaths.”
Waste Management Metrics Refined
The board addressed persistent questions about garbage collection by shifting from percentage-based reporting to raw numbers. The new key performance indicators will report monthly totals of missed pickups rather than relying solely on percentage rates that consistently hover around 99 percent.
Additional waste management metrics now include the number of bulk pickups and average time to complete bulk pickups, both measures that commissioners emphasized as priorities for accountability.
Employee Retention Focus
In governance improvements, the plan establishes a goal to maintain a 90 percent employment retention rate during employees’ first year. Rather than tracking overall retention rates, the new approach focuses specifically on first-year retention with detailed breakdowns at six months, one year, and five years.
Commissioners decided against including department-by-department data in the published plan to avoid excessive length, though officials confirmed that information remains available upon request.
Infrastructure and Recreation Goals Raised
Several goals were increased after the county approached or exceeded original targets. The Jacksonville Transportation Authority now aims to increase Clay County ridership by 50 percent over five years.
County-hosted recreation programs will target a 30 percent increase over five years, up from the original 20 percent goal.
New metrics for parks and recreation include tracking the number of park leases and association participants.
Financial Accountability Measures
The updated plan adds tracking for dollars brought in through partnerships and sponsorships, along with the number of grants awarded to the county.
Rather than reprinting the strategic plan, the county will update its website using a dynamic platform already licensed by the government. QR code stickers will be placed on existing printed copies directing readers to the updated online version.
Officials said the platform will provide near real-time data visibility, allowing residents to view monthly performance updates similar to those on other county websites.
The board will receive quarterly updates on the progress of the strategic plan going forward.
