Nassau County held its first Shared Services Panel meeting at the Nassau County Office of Emergency Management last Wednesday, with more than 100 municipal leaders attending.
The goal of the Shared Services Panel is to bring county and other government officials together to find ways to save money through shared services between local governments in Nassau County.
Nassaou County’s Shared Services Panel, chaired by Nassau County Executive Laura Curran, is made up of the chief executive officer of each city, town and village, while representatives of school, fire or special improvement districts can join subcommittees.
“From services, to storage, to equipment, to technology, there are so many ways that municipalities in Nassau County can lend a hand to each other and in turn save residents money,” Curran said. “In the end, it’s all about being cost effective and utilizing our resources to the fullest, and that is why this shared services initiative is so important.”
The meeting included a presentation by the State University of New York’s Rockefeller Institute of Government and an open forum for officials to discuss ideas for the 2019 plan.
“Nassau County has a tremendous opportunity to save taxpayers money while delivering better, more efficient public services,” Rockefeller Institute President Jim Malatras said, adding that he looks forward to working with Curran and officials to make a “forward-thinking plan.”
The panel spawned from the County-Wide Shared Services Initiative passed in 2017 by the New York Legislature and signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo. It requires every county, except New York City, to create a shared services plan.
Nassau County saved $200,000 as a result of its 2017 plan, according to the county executive’s office, and is eligible for matching funds from the state.
The 2019 plan will be implemented in 2020.
