Government Consolidation Means Lower Taxes, More Public Accountability

New law provides citizens more say in eliminating waste and duplication

March 19, 2010

Albany – Assemblymember Kevin Cahill (D-Ulster, Dutchess) announced The New NY Government Reorganization and Citizen Empowerment Act will take effect on Sunday, March 21st. The new law makes it easier to reorganize or dissolve outdated and inefficient local governments by following a uniform procedure involving significant citizen participation.

“This act provides our communities with the tools to consolidate and eliminate costly and confusing duplicate layers of government,” said Assemblymember Cahill. “By modernizing the structure of government, at all levels, we can deliver high quality and efficient services at a lower cost to taxpayers.”

New York State has more than 10,500 layers of government, resulting in a maze of costly, overlapping, confusing bureaucracy. With the changes to the law, individuals, community groups and local governments will have the right to petition for and vote on government streamlining measures. Through this process, citizens will have the final say in the consolidation of government services, the elimination of wasteful duplication and the delivery of real tax savings. Consolidation or dissolution of local government entities may be initiated in one of two ways:

• A governing body-initiated process triggered by the development and approval of a proposed plan for consolidation or dissolution, followed by the plan’s publication and public hearings aimed at maximizing citizen participation.
• A citizen-initiated process begun by the filing of a petition containing the signatures of at least 10 percent of the electorate or 5,000 electors, whichever is less, residing within the jurisdiction of the local government entity or entities to be consolidated or dissolved. For entities with 500 or fewer electors, the petition must contain the signatures of at least 20 percent of the voters.
  • The filing of the petition requires a referendum to be held;
  • If a majority of the electorate in each entity votes in favor of consolidation or dissolution, then the governing body must meet and develop a proposed written plan to implement the decision, followed by the plan’s publication and public hearings; and
  • Consolidation or dissolution takes effect when the governing body approves a final version of the plan.

“While this measure represents important progress towards real property tax relief, we cannot stop here,” said Assemblymember Cahill. “I have introduced legislation to reform our education system by requiring the development and implementation of shared services and consolidation plans for all school districts”

The 21st Century Schools Act (A.9510) would maximize the use of BOCES, increase cooperative participation and expand regional approaches to big ticket items like transportation and special education. A recent report by Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli estimated that the state could save close to $400 million if school districts took better advantage of back-office services already offered by BOCES.

“Property taxpayers need relief now. Shared services and consolidation are ways to bring about that relief without sacrificing quality,” Assemblymember Cahill concluded.

What's New