Governor Cuomo Announces Cattaraugus, Ontario and Sullivan Counties Will Receive $1.2 Million in State Matching Funds Through the County-Wide Shared Services Initiative

Statement

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced Cattaraugus, Ontario and Sullivan Counties together received a total of $1.2 million in state matching funds via the County-Wide Shared Services Initiative. The CWSSI provides a dollar-for-dollar state match of taxpayer savings achieved through the implementation of new shared services identified in county-wide plans produced as a result of the Initiative. The counties' plans identified ways to consolidate services and save taxpayer money through government efficiencies in services and community programs.

"These counties understood early on that this project was an opportunity to evaluate operations and service delivery in each municipality in order to achieve great combined services that will save taxpayer money," Governor Cuomo said. "Their plans showed months of diligent research and vision to implement a better and more compact way of governance for their communities, and I applaud the job they have done in spearheading an initiative that promotes increased collaboration and efficiencies amongst our local governments."

"We encourage local governments to work together to streamline services and reduce costs," said Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul. "These shared services projects between Cattaraugus, Ontario, and Sullivan counties will save taxpayers $1.2 million and increase government efficiency. As part of our shared services initiative, we are providing the counties with state matching funds to further benefit their communities and enhance quality of life for residents."

Each county received matching funds for the following:

Cattaraugus County: Worked to achieve its efficiency plan and the state matched over $930,000 in net savings from the implementation of four plan projects. Projects for which net savings were matched by the state include the establishment of a joint equipment, materials and services sharing/purchasing portal; joint property tax assessment; and participation in the New York Municipal Insurance Reciprocal. Cattaraugus County partnered with over 30 towns and villages, and the cities of Olean and Salamanca.

Ontario County: Its plan will receive a match of $207,172 from the implementation of 10 plan projects. Plan projects include shared health officers, the Employee Assistance Program (which includes school districts), heavy equipment, employee training and planning services. Ontario County worked with more than 25 municipal partners including the City of Canandaigua to achieve this savings to taxpayers

Sullivan County: New York State matched $79,694 in net savings to Sullivan County. Sullivan County and the Town of Rockland will share offices housing their Department of Motor Vehicles and Sherriff's office as well as sharing plowing services. The Town of Liberty partnered with Sullivan County to share a Parks and Recreation position.

Secretary of State Rossana Rosado said, "Cattaraugus, Ontario and Sullivan Counties understood the critical importance of working together to offer tax savings to their communities. The County-Wide Shared Services Initiative inspired them to work as a whole to deliver taxpayer savings and government efficiency through shared services that will bring positive results and recurring savings for years to come."

Senator Rich Funke said, "Ontario County does a phenomenal job as a responsible steward of taxpayer dollars. I'm proud of their efforts and I'm glad they have been rewarded with a state shared services grant. I congratulate Chairman of the Board of Supervisors Jack Marren and his team for coming up with new and innovative ways to deliver needed services while saving taxpayer dollars."

Senator Pamela Helming said, "This is a great step forward for Ontario County. Together, we are working to make the best use of our tax dollars and making government more efficient. It's important that we work together to hold the line on spending and find creative new ways to deliver greater efficiencies and better results for hardworking taxpayers. I congratulate Ontario County for being recognized for its creativity and effectiveness through these funds and I thank the Governor for recognizing the importance of shared services."

Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb said, "County governments are constantly looking for innovative ways and efficient practices to best deliver services. With local budgets facing pressure to manage costly unfunded mandates, streamlining services takes on added importance. The professionals of Ontario County who worked to identify and implement these critical cost-savings measures deserve a tremendous amount of credit."

Assembly Member Joseph Giglio said, "Our county and municipal governments should be proud of their achievement of creating a successful plan for shared services so that our residents could get some relief from the burden of heavy taxes. I'm pleased that Cattaraugus County is a recipient of these matching funds through the County-Wide Shared Services Initiative. This funding will provide significant savings for communities throughout Cattaraugus County."

Assembly Member Aileen Gunther said, "I want to congratulate Sullivan County on being one of only three counties across the state to win a grant through the County-Wide Shared Services Initiative. Sullivan County's plan will help increase efficiency and reduce the property tax burden for local taxpayers."

Assembly Member Brian Miller said, "At the state Capitol we are always looking for ways to better serve New Yorkers while reducing costs and improving efficiency. I am very proud of Sullivan County for taking the initiative to save taxpayers money by working with local towns to find more ways to save without compromising services. I would encourage all local governments to continue seeking ways we can work together to reduce the bureaucracy and expense of government so that our citizens can better afford continuing to call New York State home."

Sullivan County Legislature Chairman Luis Alvarez said, "Once again, we've eagerly tackled the challenge Governor Cuomo set for us through his County-Wide Shared Services Initiative, and we've found cost savings and program efficiencies that can only ultimately benefit our communities. I'm gratified the State is matching those savings, and I firmly believe we will find further innovative ways to share services and save taxpayer dollars."

Ontario County Administrator Mary Krause said, "Ontario County was able to capitalize on a legacy of cooperation and shared services with our municipalities and school districts. CWSSI provided a proscribed format and timeline for our discussions. We welcome these matching funds as an affirmation of our continuing collaborative efforts to the benefit of our taxpayers."

Cattaraugus County Chair James Snyder said, "This shared services agreement was only as good as the people that got involved in it, and here in Cattaraugus County, our people did an excellent job. The net result was a positive savings for our taxpayers. We were proud to participate in this valuable opportunity from the State of New York. It was a long time coming and we are looking forward to the next round."

Cattaraugus County Administrator Jack Searles said, "I would like to commend the Governor and New York State for promoting shared services. While shared services have long been something that has occurred between our municipalities, this effort and this program engendered a focused dialogue and approach among municipalities to reenergize efforts around sharing resources that generate tax savings. Thank you for this opportunity!"

Matching state funds for Cattaraugus, Ontario, and Sullivan counties are part of the first round of funds received for plans proposed and implemented to save taxpayer money and offer efficiencies in government services to their communities.

Guidance documents regarding the CWSSI and state match application process are available here. Past CWSSI plans are available here.

The County-Wide Services Initiative is administered by the Division of Local Government Services at the Department of State. The Division provides technical assistance and competitive grants to local governments. For more information on CWSSI or any programs administered by the Division, please contact localgov@dos.ny.gov or call 518 473-3355.

Source