"Business" of User Fees - US Fire Administration - Federal ...

5INTRODUCTIONThe “business” of government has changed dramatically over the last few years.For many government agencies the only thing that has remained constant is continuouschange. Many of these changes originated in business and then spilled over togovernment. In the private sector customers have come to expect a certain level ofservice and this expectation has also migrated to the public sector. Terms such ascustomer service, empowerment and total quality management have become commonin both business and government alike.Generally, these changes have been positive for both the public and privatesectors. They have made government more accountable, more user-friendly, andraised service levels. Many governments, especially at the local level have added newand innovative services in response to customer requests and from ideas generatedfrom empowered employees. Another viewpoint by Kemp (1991) is “The magnitudeand momentum of these changes will influence the types of public services provided inthe future – how they will be financed and how well they will meet the citizens’ needs”(p. 48). This has been evident by the many government agencies that have alreadybeen doing “more with less” but still continue to add services for their citizens, stretchingexisting resources to make everything fit. For other agencies that have been blessedwith a good economy; population and economic growth have also increased thedemand for service.The Westminster Fire Department has experienced both of these scenarios overthe last few years. Whether in lean or prosperous times customer service hascontinued to improve and expand with minimal budget increases. Currently the