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County Executive Curran Hosts First Shared Services Panel Meeting
Municipal leaders brainstorm ways to save residents money with service sharing
Nassau County, NY - Nassau County Executive Laura Curran held the first meeting of the 2019 Shared Services Panel Meeting on July 10 at the Nassau County Office of Emergency Management. Over 100 municipal leaders from across Nassau County, including town, city and village officials and representatives from special districts, attended the meeting to brainstorm ways they can work together to pool resources.
The goal of the Shared Services Panel is to bring together Nassau County and municipal leaders to identify and implement new ways to save taxpayers money through shared and more efficient services between local governments within the county. To maximize potential savings the county has brought in the State University of New York’s Rockefeller Institute of Government to help develop and implement the County-Wide Shared Services Plan. The first meeting included a presentation by the Rockefeller Institute of Government as well as an open forum with municipal officials to discuss ideas for the 2019 plan.
“From services, to storage, to equipment, to technology, there are so many ways that municipalities in Nassau County can lend a hand to each other and in turn save residents money. In the end, it’s all about being cost effective and utilizing our resources to the fullest, and that is why this shared services initiative is so important,”
said Nassau County Executive Laura Curran
“Nassau County has a tremendous opportunity to save taxpayers money while delivering better, more efficient public services,” said Rockefeller Institute President Jim Malatras. “We look forward to working with County Executive Laura Curran and other municipal leaders to produce an ambitious and forward-thinking plan.”
Governor Cuomo and the New York State Legislature created the County-Wide Shared Services Initiative in 2017 which requires each county in New York, except New York City, to create a shared services plan between municipalities by encouraging cooperation by facilitating operational collaboration resulting in local property tax savings for residents. Nassau County’s Shared Services Panel is made up of the chief executive officer of each city, town and village, with the County Executive serving as chair. School, fire or special improvement districts are also invited to join by selecting a representative to serve as a member of a subcommittee of the panel. In 2019, the New York State Budget extended this law through 2021 and reaffirmed that there is $225M available for the State’s one-time match of net savings achieved from shared services actions included in a tax savings plan.
Nassau County submitted a shared services plan in 2017 resulting in savings of over $200,000 which is eligible for matching funds by New York State. The 2019 County-Wide Shared Services Plan will be implemented in 2020.