NORWICH – An executive order released by the governor’s office late last month appointing a commission to study local government efficiencies has prompted a handful of local officials to express their outrage.
The order is intended to relieve the tax burden for all New Yorkers and suggests consolidating taxing jurisdictions. In the April 23 letter distributed to governmental officials throughout the state, Governor Spitzer said he aims “to reduce the number of taxing jurisdictions while reducing the cost and improving the quality of the many vital services that local governments provide.”
The order also requests a response from town supervisors, asking them to submit examples of recent shared services or mergers. A newly appointed Commission on Local Government Efficiency & Competitiveness will review the submitted initiatives, select those deemed most substantial and help implement them where they could also be affective.
“Consolidation is great. We are all for that. But as I read this letter, I became angrier and angrier,” said Supervisor Dennis Brown, D-Pharsalia. “Fifty percent of the tax rate in Chenango County is for Medicaid and school taxes. The rest is cheap, and comes with a good deal less than the 2 percent increases paid out in salaries to government employees each year.”
Brown spoke before members of the Chenango County Board of Supervisors at a special meeting April 30 and, again addressed the Finance Committee on May 3, suggesting the county respond with “its thoughts” on the governor’s letter.
Using his own $3,370 annual property tax bill as an example, Brown said if school and Medicaid taxes were taken out, he would have $750 left over for town services like fire, ambulance, road maintenance and Pharsalia’s share of county taxes.
And pointing to his town’s budget, he said money has been lost since the state partnered with Pharsalia’s justice department 10 years ago. “We took in $13,000 last year but got back only $2,554 and still have to pay salaries,” he said. “Once the county takes over our town’s elections, our costs are estimated to be $150,000 a year versus the $700 to $1,200 it costs us now.”
“Efficiencies? What kind of efficiencies? What’s he going to do, ask us to overlap services while providing new services? That’s a magic trick I’d like to see. With what money?” he said.
Supervisor Richard Schlag, D-German, speaking before the Finance Committee, said, “Consolidate towns to save money? Yeah, right.”
“We don’t buy any new equipment, most of ours is more than 10 years old. Fuel is on the state’s bid. Can we share equipment? We already do. Our highway superintendent makes $30,000 and many of his staff work part-time for a pittance. If we consolidate, I don’t say where big economy is going to come. We would have to pay professional levels then.”
Chenango County Treasurer William E. Evans said the letter was “almost appalling.”
“I’d like to say to the governor, ‘Where have you been?’ Medicaid began crushing county services 10 years ago. We’re just now starting to make our way back on infrastructure. We’ve been struggling to try to wade through this Medicaid crisis by consolidating services already.”
Finance Committee Chairman Lawrence N. Wilcox, R-Oxford, suggested the Governor’s letter might be more applicable for metropolitan areas. “Our obligation is always to take care of inefficiencies,” he said.
“This letter bothers me. They are going to come down here and tell us how to do it better. The quality of services we get from the individual people who work in our town can’t be quantified or taken care of by consolidating,” Brown said.
Evans pointed to the county’s contribution to the state’s retirement bill as the problem for higher taxes. He said Chenango County’s $1.9 million bill is $1 million more than it should be.
“I say send a resolution calling on the state’s comptroller to relax retirements contribution rates and give some relief to counties. Take that burden off of us and we’ll take it off the taxpayers,” he said.