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.

Chautauqua County executive Vince Horigan hosted the shared services forum in order to go over the basic details of the governor’s property tax freeze program, which was announced earlier this year and involves providing rebates to residents across the state if their local governments are able to hold the line on spending and also find ways to share services.

Joining Horigan was Dave Lucas from from the New York State Association of Counties, who explained why the program was initiated.

“It’s to get folks to look at different ways to deliver services,” Lucas explained. “Is there a better way to do it? Is there a more efficient way? Since they’re both performing the same service, can they do it better if they do it together?”

Lucas also explained that through the program if local governments are able to show the state that they are able to prevent an increase in local spending by combining services with other municipalities, the state would pass that savings on to the local taxpayers in those areas.

“Someone freezes the levy or cuts it, they should get a rebate check for the maximum allowable growth for that jurisdiction, and that is how they changed the bill [to make it better for local governments],” Lucas said. “In some jurisdictions the check [per property owners] could be quit small. In others you might get a couple of hundred books. It depends on the value of the home, along with other factors.”

Assemblyman Andy Goodell was also in attendance to answer questions, one of which was why is the state asking local governments to share services, when it could do a better job of creating more efficiencies in Albany. Goodell explained that some effort has in fact been made in Albany to reduce spending, but admited more can also be done.

“For example we’ve consolidated race & wagering and the lottery into one commission on gaming. We’ve created a new financial serves group that combines banking and insurance, so the state has been doing that, and that’s one reason why the state’s overall general fund spending has been below two percent.”

In order to qualify for a rebates, local governments are to first demonstrate that they are staying within the state’s required tax cap program… that includes not passing a local law to over ride a tax cap.  In the second year, the municipalities are to submit an Efficiency Plan to the state by June 1, 2015.

Horrigan says the county will be collecting information from local governments between now and June 1 of next year to identify shared services that are already in place, as well as determine what other efficiencies can be created. The group of local government leaders will meet again in November to get an update on that process.

Information will also be updated on the county website at www.co.chautauqua.ny.us.

Chautauqua County Executive Vince Horrigan.

MAYVILLE – The issue of shared services among municipalities will be addressed later today in Mayville when Chautauqua County Executive Vince Horrigan hosts a Shared Services Forum.

The forum will discuss the impact of shared services among municipalities as it relates to Governor Andrew Cuomo’s property tax freeze proposal.  Over 40 local municipal and school district leaders are expected to attend the forum.

Chautauqua County, like many other counties across New York, has dozens of governing agencies with more than 500 elected officials. The list includes 27 towns, two cities, 15 villages, and 18 school districts – along with the county government. In addition, there are several more agencies, commissions and boards that serve and overlap various municipalities.

Today’s forum will take place from 1 to 4 p.m. in the conference room at the Chautauqua County Office of Emergency Services in Mayville. It will not be open to the general public but the press has been given permission to cover it.