NY Secretary of State Announces 20 Local Gov't Efficiency Grants Aimed at Improving Services & Reducing Taxes

ALBANY, NY (08/20/2010)(readMedia)-- New York Secretary of State Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez today announced the recipients of 20 Local Government Efficiency (LGE) awards totaling $871,490 to municipalities in all corners of the state. These grants will fund planning projects that represent the first step in a municipality's, county's or region's effort to share certain public services – from public school reorganization to village dissolution to the consolidation of emergency services.

"These High Priority Planning Grants will help municipalities get the information they need to make informed decisions on how better to deliver high quality, cost-effective services to New Yorkers," Secretary of State Cortés-Vázquez said. "These varied projects exemplify the many ways that local officials are working together to reduce cost while providing valuable services. The Department of State remains a committed partner to these local governments, and there is no better time for them to seek out cost-saving opportunities than now."

These are the first LGE awards since the implementation of the "New New York Government Reorganization and Citizen Empowerment Act" earlier this year, which empowers citizens to place questions of municipal consolidation or dissolution on a popular ballot by collecting petition signatures from voters.

Along with these grants, the Department of State continues to provide assistance to municipalities to help them understand the changes created by the new law and to provide them with tools to develop the best information needed to supply to the voters.

Since the inception of the LGE program in 2005, the Department of State has funded 294 shared services projects with a projected long-term savings of more than $418 million for taxpayers from a $46 million state investment.

State Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Chair of the New York State Senate Local Government Committee, said: "I am so pleased to join Secretary of State Cortés-Vázquez in recognizing the recipients of these Local Government Efficiency awards across New York state. These grants will enable local governments to take the first steps to determine the feasibility of municipal consolidation, sharing of public services or other efficiency projects, to more effectively create savings for taxpayers. These grants are a vital tool for achieving these goals."

Assemblyman Sam Hoyt, Chair of the Assembly Local Governments Committee, said, "The Local Government Efficiency grants provide communities with valuable resources to save money. I will continue to support the use of these grants that assist both the municipality and the local taxpayer in real cost savings and shared services for individual projects throughout the state."

A list of the grants is as follows:

Municipal consolidation and/or dissolution studies:

• Village of Alden dissolution study (into the Town of Alden, Erie County)

• City of Batavia's preparations for new charter that incorporates the Town of Batavia (Genesee County)

• Village of Candor dissolution study (into the Town of Candor, Tioga County)

• Village of Chaumont dissolution study (into the Town of Chaumont, Jefferson County)

• Village of Depew dissolution study (into the Town of Cheektowaga, Erie County)

• Village of East Aurora dissolution study (into the Town of Aurora, Erie County)

• Town of Ossining municipal consolidation alternatives study (with the Villages of Ossining and Briarcliff Manor, Westchester County)

• Town of Rye dissolution feasibility study and Village alternatives analysis (Westchester County)

School district reorganization and shared services studies:

• District reorganization study for Glens Falls City School District and Glens Falls Common School District (Warren County)

• District reorganization study for Ichabod Crane and Schodack School Districts and shared service options (Columbia and Rensselaer Counties)

• District reorganization study for Ilion and Mohawk Central School Districts (Herkimer County)

• District reorganization study for Jefferson, South Kortright and Stamford Central School Districts and shared service options (Delaware County)

• District reorganization study for St. Johnsville and Oppenheim-Ephratah School Districts (Montgomery County)

• Wayne-Finger Lakes BOCES Regional High School study and planning project (Ontario County)

Other municipal shared services and efficiency projects:

• Dissolution feasibility study for the Gordon Heights Fire District (Suffolk County)

• Consolidation study for the Hamlin and Morton-Walker Fire Districts (Monroe and Orleans Counties)

• City of Newburgh charter revision and sustainability plan (Orange County)

• Consolidation Study for Orange County Sewer District #1

• Study on ways to improve Town of Philipstown's emergency service organizations (Putnam County)

• Schenectady County public works and highway projects countywide sharing study

The 2010-11 state budget authorized up to $5 million for grants for local government efficiency and consolidation. Local officials should feel free to contact a program administrator with any questions at (518) 474-4752 or at SharedServices@dos.state.ny.us.

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