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NYSAC Announces Public Service Panel
July 30, 2008
In light of the state's financial situation brought to light this week by Governor David Paterson, today the New York State Association of Counties (NYSAC) announced a new public service review panel that will review hundreds of state programs and services delivered by counties on behalf of the state. The goal will be to identify costs that can be reduced or eliminated during this economic crisis.
"Counties, as the administrative arm of state government-delivering state services locally-agree that the present economy, combined with higher unemployment, lagging population growth and the highest property taxes in the nation have created a perfect storm," said NYSAC Executive Director Stephen J. Acquario. "Clearly now is the time to take corrective action to avoid the need for a state fiscal control board."
NYSAC's public service review panel is designed to expand certain county finance review processes to other counties and state-agency partners to work together to identify opportunities to cut costs and/or improve efficiencies.
"The Governor has directed all state agencies to review and prioritize public programs. Today, NYSAC and our member counties announce we will undertake a similar review of programs and services; with an emphasis on state programs delivered through our counties," said NYSAC President Lucille M. McKnight. "It is only through this top-down, bottom-up review that inefficiencies can come to light and new efficiencies can be developed."
As much as 80 percent of a county budget is devoted to the administration and delivery of state programs and services. Historically, when state finances have been squeezed, costs for state programs and services have been shifted down to the local property taxpayers.
"As we are partners in the delivery of most of the state's health and human services programs we must, where appropriate, align our programs and services with the State's core mission and goals." said Chemung County Executive Tom Santulli, who has directed county department heads to develop a comprehensive inventory of every program and service they run or oversee, complete with a breakdown of program expenditures and which programs rely on state funding.
"We are being fore-warned by the State; we must therefore be fore-armed," said Santulli. "A thorough analysis of all of our programs and services must be completed so we will be able to make any difficult choices which will be deemed necessary in the future."
Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy, president of the New York State County Executives Association is promoting the new public service review panel.
"County budgets across the state are in a similarly fragile condition. Balancing the need for essential public services with the fiscal realities we all face is a challenge for all of us at the local and the state level," said Levy. "We invite the governor, legislative leaders and state agency officials to work with our counties as we undertake these reviews. None of us should be working in a vacuum right now. We all represent the same constituents-the people of New York-and we should work together to get through this crisis on their behalf."
Over the next month, NYSAC will be sending template review forms to counties to use as they begin the review process in their counties. NYSAC has also scheduled a series of regional budget meetings in conjunction with the public service review panel.
"Identifying our public service priorities should be front and center, and this new review panel will help us do that. We stand ready to work with state officials to prioritize or reprioritize the many health and human service programs that cross our jurisdictions," said Acquario.
The New York State Association of Counties is a bipartisan municipal association serving all 62 counties of New York State including the City of New York. Organized in 1925, NYSAC's mission is to represent, educate and advocate for member counties and the thousands of elected and appointed county officials who serve the public.
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