The whole story of the "bureaucrat's paradise" mayor's attempt at reforming welfare benefits

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Mayor Horai ran for mayor in 1999 after the previous mayor resigned due to corruption, and was elected. He was re-elected without a vote in 2003 and 2007, and is currently in his third term. Before becoming mayor, he was an employee at an auto parts company.

"The key is 'government is also a business.' How can we provide more advanced, high-quality services at a lower cost? However, simply moving everything from public to private will not solve the problem. It is necessary to clearly define the differences between the public and private sectors."

Immediately after assuming his position, he began "restructuring in the truest sense of the word." He completely abolished all allowances that did not make sense. He also became the first municipality in the country to remove background image completely abolish subsidies to the employee mutual aid association. In order to cut overtime pay, he has posted the number of overtime hours employees have worked. However, he will not implement a uniform salary cut. He has improved working conditions for non-regular employees so that their annual income will be at least 2.3 million yen.

In personnel affairs, a rotation system is in place to prevent employees from continuing the same job for more than five years. Employees are evaluated on what they have done, not on how long they have been there. It is a system in which people who have produced results are evaluated, regardless of age or experience.

The results have been remarkable. The city library has the highest number of books borrowed among libraries of its size in the nation. Medical expenses are completely free for those up to the third year of junior high school, regardless of income. In a survey of administrative services conducted by the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, the city was ranked number one in the Kinki region among cities with a population of less than 50,000. The city has achieved both reduced debt and attentive service. The mayor of Horai stresses the importance of "those involved."

"A true leader is someone who can maximize the motivation of his or her subordinates. For example, Ono City does not rely on external experts such as consultants. The city staff thinks about everything themselves. There is meaning in that. I think the biggest problem is that there are no bureaucrats involved in the 'Business Review' or 'Administrative Revitalization Council'."

Many local government leaders are calling for "reform." However, in some cases, conflicts with the assembly have resulted in deepening confusion and administrative stagnation.

The Ono City Council is currently reducing its council member numbers. The current number is 16. This is the result of a reduction of two council members in 2005 and another reduction of two in March 2010. Mayor Horai said, "The conflict between council members and the mayor is seen as a problem with the mayor's leadership, but that's not the case. It's just a lack of ability from the top to explain things."

It has been pointed out for a long time that the recession is becoming a normal thing. In the midst of this, it was inevitable that public servants and politicians who are greedy for high salaries would be criticized. However, it is difficult to erase and change everything. Demanding work that is commensurate with the "good treatment" is one concrete and effective methodology.

When asked how to motivate people, Mayor Horai said, "It's about making them think seriously about the meaning of work."