Chautauqua County Executive Submits Multi-Government Efficiency Plan to State Officials

Chautauqua County Executive Vince Horrigan.

MAYVILLE – County executive Vince Horrigan has submitted the county’s multi-government efficiency plan to Albany as part of the state’s Property Tax Freeze Credit program.

According to Horrigan’s office, the plan included the participation of 30 of the 45 government entities in the county and demonstrates a projected local savings of nearly $13 million during the years of 2017 through 2019.

Some of the efficiencies identified in the plan started as early as 2012.

Some of the efficiencies outlined in the plan included:

• The privatization of the Chautauqua County Home with an approximate $2.6 million per year savings in IGT Funding;
• The Towns of Dunkirk, Pomfret, Portland, Sheridan and Village of Brocton participating in the North County Water District, saving $365,000 per year during the plan year of 2017 through 2019;
•  The merger of the Chautauqua County’s Department of Social Services and Department of Health into the Department of Health and Human Services with an ongoing savings of $235,000 per year;
•  The City of Jamestown’s reduction and realignment of staff duties while maintaining the same level of services resulted in $190,961 of ongoing savings;
• The reduction of the size of the Chautauqua County Legislature with a savings of $67,000 each year.

The Property Tax Freeze Credit Program encourages local governments to generate long-term relief for taxpayers by sharing services, consolidating or merging, and demonstrating and implementing operational efficiencies.

Each county is required to send an efficiency plan had to the State Division of Budget. Additionally, the local government must comply with the 2% Property Tax Cap in order to ensure that homeowners, who have a total household income of $500,000 or less, are eligible to receive the rebate on their primary residencies in 2015 and 2016.

For more information about the tax rebate visit the New York State Division of Budget website at www.budget.ny.gov/govEfficiencyPlans/govEfficiencyPlans.html .