Nassau County Executive Laura Curran has released a draft proposal for municipalities to share services that aims to save money and lower property taxes.
The plan aims to achieve up to $7.3 million in savings in 2020 if fully implemented, the county said in a news release last Wednesday.
Curran said the plan includes combinations of technological, storage, equipment and personnel services across the county.
According to the draft of the 2020 Shared Services Plan, a digital platform called “Nassau Saves” would be created as an online portal to expand the use of joint purchasing and the sharing of equipment and personnel.
“Digitize Nassau” would be implemented to develop joint efforts in digitizing mandated records.
In addition to shared information technology services, there would be enhanced energy efficiency programs which feature a county-coordinated audit of energy use of all municipalities and school districts with suggested efficiency plans, an increase of street and outdoor LED light fixtures, and community solar programs.
Increased recycling initiatives among municipalities along with contracts that could combine waste disposal entities within the county are proposals to reduce the $304.8 million that was spent on waste removal services in 2018, according to the plan.
“There are so many ways municipalities in Nassau County can collaborate and deliver improved governmental services at a lower cost to the taxpayers,” Curran said. “The 2020 Shared Services Plan will not only save residents’ money, it will help our county and fellow municipalities run more efficiently.”
Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature developed the County-Wide Shared Services initiative in 2017. It requires each county in the state, aside from New York City, to create a plan with a panel of local municipalities by promoting cooperation and collaboration.
Spearheaded by Curran, Nassau’s panel consists of the mayors and supervisors of the county’s three towns, two cities and 64 incorporated villages.
Additionally, the county has received help in developing this year’s plan from the Rockefeller Institute of Government in Albany.
“Nassau County has a tremendous opportunity to save taxpayers money while delivering better, more efficient public services,” Rockefeller Institute President Jim Malatras said.
In 2019, Nassau County and its partner municipalities were awarded New York State matching funds of $203,000 for savings initiatives implemented in 2018, according to Curran.
Panel members will convene and vote on the finalized plan in December.
