Odell Outlines Potential Ways to Streamline Services
By Anna Young
Following New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s State of the State earlier this month, County Executive MaryEllen Odell is continuing to propose ways the county can streamline services and potentially save taxpayers money.
In the coming months, Odell, a Republican, said she plans to meet with elected officials from every town and village, school district officials, county department heads and union representatives to discuss the county’s approach to streamline services and reduce property taxes. Cuomo’s County- Wide Share Services Initiative requires county officials to develop a plan to eliminate duplicative services and coordinate services to enhance purchasing power.
Odell noted how the county has already worked in partnership with the towns and school districts in past years to provide fiscal relief. She said the county assumed the county Board of Elections’ $1.9 million budget and the community college $3.15 million budget. The county also paid over $25 million to the school districts for both their unpaid wholly school tax payments and for unpaid partial school tax payments.
With the school budgets carrying a high percentage of the property tax bill, Odell said she will be visiting each school district to stress to every superintendent that they need to be involved in consolidating funds. She also questioned the need for six superintendents and suggested having one school superintendent oversee every school system within Putnam.
“Why are we not talking to the schools when it’s been evident that the schools have as many mandates as we do, and they offer as many services that the state requires as we do,” Odell said. “I think it would be in their best interest to sit with us because they face the same struggles we do with budgets and mandates.”
Odell criticized Cuomo, a Democrat, for not including the school districts in the discussion for shared services and continuing to blame the county government for high taxes when the school district’s portion of the property tax bill exceeds the county’s.
“In Putnam County we’re very proud of the fact that our county tax bill is nine percent, which is the lowest of all 62 counties,” Odell said.
Odell proposed the county invest in a wash bay intended to be shared amongst the schools, highway department and police department. She said the capital expenditure would create significant benefits to the local municipalities, towns and school districts, while also extending the useful life of the vehicle.
“A wash bay will be a tremendous opportunity for schools and municipalities and the county included to do something good for the environment and do something good for our equipment, which in translation is good for the taxpayers because we preserve our equipment,” she said.
Another aspect Odell elaborated on was the installation of video conferencing instead of the accused appearing in court. By having jailed defendants appear electronically, Odell said it could save the county money on overtime and vehicle usage and enhance public safety to a higher level. She added that the initiative has received support from Putnam County Sheriff Robert Langley, along with the Putnam County Bar Association and the Putnam Legal Aid Society.
Odell said she asked the county Legislature to bring it back to the floor for discussion adding how it’s a great program from a public safety perspective. She is also suggesting consolidating the county tax assessors into one unit stating that the shared service would result in potential savings in personnel cost to the local municipalities.
The Commission for Fiscal Vision and Accountability will be working together to examine the suggested ideas and brainstorm more service sharing ideas.
The initial shared service plan needs to be developed and submitted by the county Legislature by Aug 1. It will then be finalized before Sept. 15 and subject to at least three public hearings. A shared services panel will vote on the plan and if approved it, it would go up to New York State. If the plan fails or is not voted on, Odell will need to provide residents the proposals that were put forth and the vote of each panel member and the reason for their vote.
