As County Administrator, I convened the County-Wide Shared
Services panel to meet in 2020. A quorum of panel members attended the first
scheduled public meeting on March 4, 2020.
Staff from the Office of Planning & Development reviewed
the timeline of the entire project (2017 to current) with panel members and
public participants. Information was provided on the process to request
reimbursement from the State for projects that were completed as outlined in previous
plans. A potential meeting timeline was presented and discussed as a group.
Some panel members voiced concern that their municipalities already share a
number of services and expressed difficulty naming additional activities to
share that would qualify for state reimbursement through the County-Wide Shared
Services Plan process.
Within days of the panel’s first meeting, Governor Andrew M.
Cuomo declared a statewide Disaster Emergency related to the impending threat
of a COVID-19 public health emergency. As a result of the public health
emergency and the subsequent Executive Orders of the Governor that put “New
York State on Pause,” the panel discontinued in-person public meetings for the remainder
of 2020. Public meetings occurred on September 16 (no quorum in attendance) and
September 30, 2020, (quorum achieved) through Zoom, an internet-based meeting
platform. On November 4, 2020, the panel convened and determined by majority
vote that it was not in the best interest of the taxpayers to revise and update
a previously approved County-Wide Shared Services Plan or to develop a new
County-Wide Shared Services Plan for Allegany County in 2020.
As part of my duties, I will transmit to the Secretary of
State this statement that explains why the panel did not approve a plan in
2020, and the explanation below that describes each panel member’s vote. This
statement will also be released to the public.
Allegany County and its many municipalities have worked
diligently to continue serving our residents and taxpayers throughout the
COVID-19 public health emergency. Collectively, we [the panel] have determined
that it is not in our best interest to revise or submit a new County-Wide
Shared Services plan for the year 2020. Our municipalities are already sharing
services and have been negatively impacted by COVID-19 in many ways. It has
taken a great toll on all of us, but we are ready to take the next steps
against this pandemic and begin the recovery process.
I intend to convene the panel again in the first quarter of
2021 to continue the discussion and determine whether or not to revise or
develop a new plan for 2021. Despite the fact that many of our local
municipalities have long-standing histories of cooperation and sharing of services,
we will continue to convene the panel annually as required by New York State to
explore the possibility of additional cost-saving shared services. Whether or
not any additional services qualify for State reimbursement through a
County-Wide Shared Services Plan, I have every bit of faith that our local
municipalities will continue finding innovative ways to band together, share services
when feasible, and do best by our constituents and taxpayers.
The table that follows this letter provides the panel member
votes and the reasons for those votes as required by the CWSSI Guidance
Document. There are a total of 40 panel members comprised of Town Supervisors,
Village Mayors, and the County Administrator. It is important to note that not
all members provided a reason for their vote. Only members who provided a
reason are listed.
