county-wide shared services

Laberge Group has partnered with numerous Counties throughout New York State on the development of County-Wide Shared Services Property Tax Savings Plans. These Plans are undertaken in response to the New York State County-Wide Shared Services Initiative (CWSSI), which requires county officials to deliver property tax savings by eliminating duplicative services and coordinating purchasing power.

Our Government Operations & Efficiency team collaborates with County officials and municipal leadership to identify opportunities for shared services that will result in cost-savings and subsequent tax reductions while maintaining, or in some cases improving, the level of service delivery that county residents and business owners have come to expect.

The property tax savings plans that result from County-Wide Shared Service Initiatives (CWSSI):

  • Produce findings which detail the cost-savings potential of various opportunities and their potential impact on the level of service delivery.
  • Identify short-term CWSSI projects to be implemented within the following year. Because only net savings realized during the first fiscal year of a newly implemented initiative are eligible for one-time State matching funds, it is important that each plan designate only plans that can begin implementation at or near the beginning of the fiscal year as short-term projects.
  • Develop matrixes for each short-term opportunity which identify: municipalities interested in sharing services, specific functions that are optimal for coordination, multiple implementation options, and the fiscal impact of each implementation option.
  • Identify and describe long-term projects that would be suitable for implementation over a 2-3 year timeframe.

Potential Shared Services
The CWSSI allows for a vast field of services to be shared and implemented across municipal boundaries. Our team’s experience in planning and/or executing these shared services initiatives includes, but is not limited to:

  • Joint Purchasing.
  • Information Technology.
  • Recreation and Park Services.
  • Highway Services.
  • Fueling Facilities.
  • Street and Sidewalk Maintenance.
  • Public Works (DPW).
  • Refuse and Recycling Collection.
  • Transfer Stations.
  • Community, Youth, and Senior Services.
  • Ambulance Services.
  • Assessment and Tax Collection.
  • Legal Services.
  • Fiscal Services.
  • Justice Courts.
  • Administrative Services.
  • Land Use (Planning and Zoning).
  • Emergency Response and Ambulance.
  • Dog Control.
  • Street Light Initiatives (LED).
  • Joint Training.

GET IN TOUCH

This is the time for counties to develop Property Tax Savings Plans that fully leverage the benefits of the County Wide Shared Services Initiative. 

Can you spare a few minutes now to discuss strategies that could impact the fiscal viability and optimal service delivery within your county for years to come? Get in touch to see how Laberge Group can help. We’re happy to be a resource for you.