The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)

Share services plan under fire

- By Kyle Hughes

ALBANY, N.Y. >> Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s plan to link state aid money to downsizing local government came under sharp criticism Tuesday 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 fromthe community up,” said Chris Koetzle, the town supervisor of Glenville, Schenectad­y County. “Not from a command and control structure down.”

“What I was hope for was less mandates, unfunded mandates ... relieve us of the mandates, allow us to do our own governing,” said Edward Kinowski (R-Stillwater), chairman of the Saratoga County Board of Supervisor­s.

“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 man- dates handed down by the state and shouldered by local taxpayers.

CSEA Capital Region President Ron Briggs called Cuomo’s plan a “dangerous scheme” which “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 Sen. Kathy Marchione (R-Halfmoon), who is opposing Cuomo’s plan to tie $715 million in funding for municipali­ties to 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.

“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,” Cuomo’s office said. “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, I think the local government bodies can certainly make those decisions off the top of their community,” Marchione said.

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.

CSEA says it has not endorsed all the specifics of Sen. Kathy Marchione’s amendments to Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s local government consolidat­ion plan. Tuesday, the union’s Capitol Region president Ron Briggs joined Marchione and local government officials to condemn Cuomo’s plan and support efforts to amend it as part of the 2017-18 budget.

He also said any consolidat­ion or shared services planning should include rank and file employees who will be affected by any change.

 ?? NYSNYS NEWS PHOTO ?? From left, Sen. Kathy Marchione, Glenville town supervisor Chris Koetzle, and Saratoga County Board of Supervisor­s Chairman Edward Kinowski discuss Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s shared services plan.
NYSNYS NEWS PHOTO From left, Sen. Kathy Marchione, Glenville town supervisor Chris Koetzle, and Saratoga County Board of Supervisor­s Chairman Edward Kinowski discuss Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s shared services plan.
 ??  ??

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States