A review of billing data provided by the Department of Information Technology shows that over the past eight months, the number of monthly 4-1-1 calls has dropped from 31,953 in March 2005 to 19,365 in November 2005 -- a drop of 39 percent.
Monthly costs have also dropped by 42 percent. In March, the state paid $24,048 in 4-1-1 charges. In November, the state paid $13,747.
"I am pleased with these results, and thank our agencies and employees for exercising this new discipline," Governor Rell said. "However, I want to make clear that I believe we can still do better, even if it means I have to conduct random spot checks of executive branch agency phone bills myself."
Governor Rell urged state employees to use a special web page -- www.ct.gov/doit/directories -- established by DOIT listing free online directory lookups and instructions for agencies to order more telephone books. Governor Rell also asked agencies to consider blocking 4-1-1 calls altogether, which some agencies have done, including the Department of Information Technology.
The billing data includes 4-1-1 calls made from land lines within 52 agencies within the executive branch, and portions of the legislative and judicial branches of government. It does not include directory assistance calls made from cell phones or using calling cards.
Last March, Governor Rell ordered a crackdown on 4-1-1 calls, saying in most cases 4-1-1 should only be used when a number cannot promptly be found in a phone book or an online directory. Her action was taken in response after learning 508,000 calls were placed from state government telephones to 4-1-1 over the previous 17 months at a cost of nearly $400,000 between October 2003 and February 2005.
