• RELATED: [LISTEN] Horrigan Lays Out County Shared Services Plan

The hearings will be held on at 6:30 p.m. in the Chautauqua County IDA Board Room, inside the BWB Building 201 W. Third St. in Jamestown.

The hearing will include a brief presentation of projects and an opportunity for county citizens to ask questions and give input on the plan.

For more information, contact the County Executive’s Office at (716) 753-4211.

According to the Post-Journal, the forum – which was hosted by the county executive Vince Horrigan and Regional Solutions Commission Chairman and county legislator George Borrello – highlighted 13 proposed projects that would be included in the application.

The projects’ list includes:

• Merging the Jamestown Police Department and the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office;
• Researching a possible merger between the Lakewood-Busti and Ellicott police departments;
• A comprehensive study on the delivery of fire services within the county;
• Dissolution of the village of Sinclairville;
• Consolidation of services among the towns of Gerry and Charlotte;
• Merging the Mayville, Dewittville and Hartfield fire departments;
• Sharing police and court facility in Dunkirk and Fredonnia;
• Sharing courts in the towns of Harmony and North Harmony sharing courts;
• Sharing a municipal facility for the Village of Lakewood and Town of Busti.

Several other north county proposals were also included in the outline.

The application detailing the projects and cost savings is due to the state June 28. The county is being assisted with the completion of the application by the Center for Governmental Research consulting firm. The winner will be announced in August.

That’s according to Jamestown Mayor Sam Teresi, who told WRFA this week that his office has been meeting with County Executive Vince Horrigan and his staff to review a tentative consolidation model and iron out final details.

“That model basically is built around the notion of not doing away with any department, but pursuing economies of scale in the hiring and employment practice, and effectively hiring off the counties employment contract as a way of bringing down the replacement cost of officers in Jamestown as they leave through attrition,” Teresi said.

While the mayor said that the plan (also called the Draft Inter-municipal Agreement) is being finalized, a specific date of when it may be completed and presented to the public has not been set.

Since 2012, representatives of a Public Safety Consolidation Task Force have been meeting to discuss and determine how to proceed with a consolidation plan that would allow the Sheriff’s office to provide police services in the city, with many services of the Jamestown Police Department being phased out over an extended period of time through the process of attrition.

Jamestown Mayor Sam Teresi

Teresi said once the draft agreement is completed, the next step will be to present it to the Chautauqua County Legislature and the Jamestown City Council for consideration. In addition, it would then also be presented to the public.

“That concept is elevated now to conversations, discussions and negotiations with the county,” Teresi explained. “We’ll see if we’re able to bring it to a proposal standpoint at some point down the line to bring to the county legislature, jointly with the city council, and then also to the general public for vetting and decision making.”

In addition to the legislative bodies and the general public, the finalized plan must still be reviewed by the collective bargaining units for both the sheriff’s deputies and Jamestown police. The mayor says both groups have been involved in the process, but so far, no one has endorsed the concept.

“There has been no endorsement of the concept, made on [The Jamestown Kendall Club’s] part, although they have been open to, participated with, and in dialogue with us about the concept,” Teresi said. “There has been no decision made at the level of the city council or the administration here at the city. Just a good, general openness to the concept and seeing where it goes.”

The mayor says that the most important thing to keep in mind about a consolidation plan is that it needs to be cost-effective, with no additional costs being incurred by the city or county, compared to what each is currently paying for current law enforcement efforts.

Facilitating the consolidation study and tentative plan is the Center For Governmental Research (CGR), based out Rochester. Funding for drawing up the consolidation plan – which so far has exceeded $300,000 – comes from the New York State Department by way of its Local Government Efficiency Grant.

Teresi made his comments during his June interview with WRFA. To hear the complete interview, including comments about the effort to look into having members of the JPD wear body cameras while on duty – tune in Thursday afternoon to Community Matters – now airing at its new time of 5 p.m.

The county’s top elected official announced on Friday that his office will host an informational forum to discuss the impact of shared services among municipalities, as it relates to Governor Andrew Cuomo’s recently announced property tax freeze proposal.

Horrigan has invited local municipal leaders and school officials to attend the Shared Services Forum and has also invited officials from New York State to help answer any questions regarding the Governor’s proposal.

The Shared Services Forum will be held on July 16, 2014 from 1 to 4 p.m. in Room B10 of the Gerace Office Building, 3 North Erie St. in Mayville.

The forum will not be open to the general public.

Elected municipal leaders and school officials who haven’t already reserved a spot at the forum are encouraged to contact the County Executive’s Office at (716) 753-4211.

ALBANY – Consolidation and sharing services among local governments and an increase in services and funding for public education were among the highlights of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s 2014 Executive Budget address, delivered to the state legislature Tuesday Afternoon in Albany.

During his address, the governor said that his plan is both a disciplined and innovative approach, and allows for tax cuts that will create jobs, grow the economy, and provide much-needed relief for struggling families.

The governor pointed to his plan to freeze property taxes for local governments, saying that if they can develop cost-saving measures in the next two years and implement them over the following three years, the state would step in and help provide relief for property tax payers.  He said a key element of reducing costs is sharing services, saying its time local governments work together to serve their constituents.

NY Governor Andrew Cuomo

“We say to the county executives, to the local government officials, ‘Sit down. Come up with a plan. Figure out shared services. Figure out consolidations. Figure out where you can find savings,'” The governor said. “It can’t be that everyone has to do everything in every government. It can’t be. It can be easier, it can be more politically advantageous. But it can’t be that there are not economies of scale in that size universe of abutting jurisdictions. Find a way to save one percent of the [tax] levy per  year, for three years.”

The governor’s Budget also makes sizable new investments in education and health care, including $1.5 billion for a fully funded Universal Full-Day Pre-K program and $720 million for an after school program over five years. As a result, under the governor’s spending plan, Cuomo said New York would become only the fourth state in the union to fully implement full-day universal pre-k program for all children in the state.

“All the educators will tell you this is the single most advantageous reform that a state can make. That the younger you get children into school, the more open and accessible their brain, the more they can take in earlier,” the governor said. “Incrediably, New York will become just the fourth state in the nation that will offer statewide universal full-day Pre K.”

Some of the other highlights of the budget include:

• Holds spending increases below 2 percent for the fourth consecutive year.
• Reduces taxes by more than $2 billion by 2016-17, using surpluses to be generated by the Governor’s commitment to holding spending at 2 percent.
• Increases education aid by $807 million, almost 4 percent, driving an average increase of nearly $300 per student.
• Authorizes $720 million over a five year period to expand after school programs.
• Proposes a $2 billion Smart Schools Bond Act to ensure that all of our children have access to the latest technology needed to compete on the global stage.
• Provides $1.2 billion in capital funding to help hospitals, nursing homes and long term care facilities restructure to provide quality community based care.

The total total spending plan is $137.2 billion dollars. It will no go to lawmakers in both the assembly and senate for their consideration. The deadline for the budget to be in place is April 1, 2014.

The forum, which will be a question and answer session for Mayors and Town Supervisors, will be led by Dierdre Scozzafava, Deputy Secretary for Local Government, and Kyle Wilber, Municipal Management Consultant, from the New York State Department of State. County Exective Greg Edwards tells WRFA the forum is being held at the urging of Governor Andrew Cuomo, who’s asking county executives throughout the state to spearhead the discussion into possible consolidation ideas.

Listen to WRFA’s Interview with Greg Edwards on Community Matters (May 10)

Edwards adds that the current forum is intended more for elected leaders to begin the analysis of possible municipal consolidation. However, he adds that once the initial meeting is completed, he’s hoping to have another forum open to County residents and taxpayers. Tonight’s forum will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Carnahan Theater at Jamestown Community College.

JAMESTOWN – A Gerry woman has been charged with child endangerment after she left her infant in an unattended vehicle while it was running. Jamestown police say they came upon a vehicle that was running and had its lights turned on around 9:15 p.m. Friday night near the intersection of King and Barrows Street. Upon further investigation, officers found that an infant child was in the back seat. Officers were able to locate the child’s caretaker – 20-year old Tonya Seekings of Gerry – and charge her with Endangering the Welfare of a Child. She is currently being help in the city jail pending arraignment.

CITY RESIDENTS ARRESTED FOR ILLEGAL HANDGUN

JAMESTOWN – Two city residents face felony charges after police say they were in possession of an illegal handgun. Officers say they received a tip that 31-year old Michael Lester and 34-year old Amanda Lester – both of 739 E. 2^nd Street – had an illegal handgun. After receiving a search warrant, they found a .38 caliber handgun along with 18 rounds of ammunition. Officers say the serial number on the gun had also been removed. Both were arrested on 2^nd degree and 3^rd degree criminal possession of a weapon charges – both felonies. Officers say additional arrests are also expected pending further investigation.

CITY WOMAN FACES CHARGES IN DOMESTIC INCIDENT

JAMESTOWN – A Jamestown woman was arrested on five charges involving a domestic violence incident over the weekend. Officers say they were called to a home at 148 McKinley Ave. just before 8:30 a.m. Saturday. Upon arrival, officers found 25 year old Ashley Martin had allegedly destroyed property belonging to a male victim. In addition, she had hit the victim on his hand with a hammer. Martin was charged with Criminal Mischief, unlawful imprisonment, menacing, assault and harassment. She was arrested, arraigned and sent to the county jail. The victim was not seriously injured.

EDWARDS CALLS ON LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO LOOK INTO MUNICIPAL CONSOLIDATION

MAYVILLE – Chautauqua County Executive Gregory Edwards says he’s ready to move forward and look into municipal consolidation. Edwards made his annoncement after attending the 2012 New York State Association of Counties’ Legislative Conference earlier this month. During the meeting, Governor Andrew Cuomo urged more than 300 attendees to help make the State a better place by becoming actively engaged in the fight for reform by working to consolidate municipal operations within their counties.

There are currently 10, 251 governments across the state, with many of them providing the same services to New York State residents. Chautauqua County accounts for 2.3 percent of this total with 27 towns, 15 villages, and two cities.

Edwards says his form, which is still in the planning process, will be held for local leaders and elected officials to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of municipal consolidations.

After elected officials begin the conversation, Edwards said he hopes to have another forum open to County residents and taxpayers.

Comments and further information may be addressed by calling the County Executive’s Office at (716) 753-4211.

EDWARDS THANKS SCHUMER FOR SECURING AIRPORT FUNDING

MAYVILLE – County Executive Gregory Edwards is thanking U.S. Senator Charles Schumer for his continued commitment to rural airports.

For the past year, Senator Schumer has been advocating for the continuation of Essential Air Service (EAS) for airports around the Country that meet the strict criteria established by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The Chautauqua County Airport in Jamestown in partnership with the Bradford Pennsylvania Airport qualified many years ago for this program because of their rural location and the necessity of airport service transportation for job retention, creation, and access by residents.

Edwards says that when the latest rounds of cuts to the EAS program were presented, Senator Schumer once again led the charge in securing the funding to keep the county airport running and serving the Region.

COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS TO HOLD MOCK PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS IN LOCAL SCHOOLS

MAYVILLE – The Chautauqua County Board of Elections is offering to come into every Chautauqua County school district this September and October to conduct a Mock Presidential Election. The program is in partnership with the Chautauqua County League of Women Voters. Board of Elections commissioner Brian Abram says the county is the very first in New York State to offer this service to our schools.

The Board of Elections is required by state law to do voter out reach programs and the school visitation for mock presidential voting is part of the county’s compliance.  Personnel to assist the student voters is being provided at no charge by the Chautauqua County League of Women Voters.

JAMESTOWN CITY COUNCIL TO MEET TONIGHT

JAMESTOWN – The Jamestown City Council will be holding anther work session tonight in City Hall. Prior to the work session, the council’s public facilities committee will meet at 7 p.m. to go over three resolutions. No other committees are scheduled to meet tonight, although the full council will meet for a work session at 7:30 p.m. on the 4^th floor of city hall.