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The program is expected to save taxpayers tens of millions of dollars over time.
The revised plan was submitted to the state Division of the Budget on Friday, Sept. 14.
The 2018 plan, which includes eight new proposals on top of the one proposal from the 2017 plan, would begin in 2019 with matching state funds in 2020. The updated plan projects $7.5 million in 2019 savings, $9.3 million in 2020 savings, and $27 million in recurring savings, officials said.
County Executive George Latimer said: “When my Administration took office in January, one of our biggest goals was to convene all the local governments to develop a shared services plan that could result in real savings to Westchester taxpayers."
Latimer said that beginning with the public hearing process, to participation from municipalities, "through the tireless work of our consultants" -- the SUNY Rockefeller Institute of Government and The Benjamin Center at SUNY New Paltz -- to the work of our shared services panel – the development of this plan "was a success."
After three public hearings, input from local officials and outreach to a variety of stakeholders including labor and school district officials, the Shared Services Panel, which includes the Mayor/Supervisor of each municipality in Westchester, voted unanimously to approve the 2018 plan.
Latimer said, “Many of the ideas included in these proposals came from local municipal leaders themselves. There is a strong appetite to work together to find places to save money for taxpayers and this process could not have happened without the cooperation and creativeness of all involved."
Harrison Mayor Ron Belmont said: "I welcome the opportunity from County Executive Latimer to join other elected officials in seeking ways to eliminate duplicate services and reduce the burden on county taxpayers."
"The goal is to shrink government operating costs and I look forward to working with the county executive and other leaders countywide on a plan that will save property taxpayers money," Belmont said.
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