Cuomo’s plan to downsize local government comes under fire
Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s plan to link state aid money to downsizing local government came under sharp criticism Tuesday during a press conference as a “top-down” dictate that doesn’t reflect the fiscal realities facing municipalities.
“We certainly support shared services (and) we support working with local governments, counties, villages and towns and school districts across the state, but this has to come from the community up,” said Chris Koetzle, the town supervisor of Glenville in Schenectady County, “not from a command and control structure down.”
Added Edward Kinowski, R-Stillwater, chairman of the Saratoga County Board of Supervisors, “What I was hoping for was less mandates, unfunded mandates ... relieve us of the mandates, allow us to do our own governing.
“We need relief and it’s relief from you telling us what to do when we know what to do at the local level,” he added. “We’ve been doing it for a very long time.”
He and others said the biggest problem is the costs of pensions, employee healthcare and other mandates handed down by the state and shouldered by local taxpayers.
CSEA Capital Region President Ron Briggs called Cuomo’s plan a “dangerous scheme” that “undermines local government leadership and erodes vital services taxpayers rely on. It also sets up local governments for failure.”
He also said any consolidation or shared services planning should include rank-and-file employees who will be affected by any change.
They spoke at a press conference with state Sen. Kathy Marchione, R-Halfmoon, who is opposing Cuomo’s plan to tie $715 million in funding for municipalities for creation of a government consolidation plan. Under the plan, county governments would draw up merger plans to downsize local governments and put the recommendations up for a vote.
Cuomo’s press office put out the following statement in response to the press conference: Local property taxes are crushing New York families and seniors and that’s why the governor wants to empower them under his plan to cut costs and lower property taxes. Taking it out of their hands preserves an untenable status quo and, frankly, misses the point entirely.”
Marchione said any consolidation plan “should be 100 percent voluntary and that localities that decide to pursue consolidation should keep any realized savings.” She also said the Aid to Municipalities program has been flat for nine years and funding should be increased.
“I believe our local elected officials have already been elected to do their jobs and put something out as simple as shared services,” Marchione said.
Cuomo’s office put out the following statement in response to the press conference: “Local property taxes are crushing New York families and seniors and that’s why the governor wants to empower them under his plan to cut costs and lower property taxes. Taking it out of their hands preserves an untenable status quo and, frankly, misses the point entirely.”
The proposal is part of Cuomo’s $162 billion budget plan for 2017-18 which is on track to be adopted by the end of March. Legislators are expected to make changes in the plan before its final adoption, possibly including a revision of the consolidation proposal.
Marchione’s proposed amendments to the plan include decoupling any vote on shared services to state aid and allowing school districts and BOCES districts to participate.
Her plan was endorsed Tuesday by the state Conference of Mayors as well as CSEA, the union representing many of the workers potentially affected by any downsizing or change in the workplace resulting from consolidations.