A new Mission Statement for Amador County and a set of three-year goals are the results of Tuesday morning’s Strategic Planning Workshop, which included 21 of the County’s top administrators and department heads. AmadorCounty’s new mission statement sought to answer the question, “Why does Amador County government exist, and for whom?“ The statement formulated at the workshop is as follows: “The County of Amador provides essential services that are responsive to the needs of the community and create a safe and secure environment.” In addition, the group came up with a four goals, which they will attempt to accomplish within three years. The goals are: Improve communication and cooperation internally and externally, Improve quality of services, Maintain and improve financial stability, and Improve organizational effectiveness and efficiency. A follow-up monitoring process, which included a set of roles, tasks and deadlines was also established to ensure the completion of these goals. The structure of the workshop centered on brainstorming and discussion about internal and external issues facing the county today. Local leaders identified hard working, efficient county employees, geographical diversity, public safety, and a relatively stable budget as some of Amador County’s internal strengths. Conversely, the complexity of policies, a lack of general direction in all departments, a lack of evaluation of past practices, and communication challenges were all identified as internal weaknesses. Increasing tourism, the potential passage of a ½ cent sales tax for fire services, the possibility of federal funding, and the new Regional Planning Committee were all cited as possible opportunities for the county, and Indian Casinos, aging employees, the state budget crisis, and water shortages were all perceived as threats. “This workshop was very productive for all participants,” said County Administrative Officer Terry Daly at the end of yesterday’s meeting.