The state’s attorney general isn’t wasting any time tackling government waste during what is already being seen as a historic economic crisis.
Attorney General Andrew Cuomo outlined his proposal to reduce government waste in order to save taxpayer money on Thursday, Dec. 11. Cuomo said the state’s patchwork quilt of more than 10,500 government entities in the state `buries residents with the nation’s highest taxes and outdated services.`
Cuomo said he would eliminate legal barriers to local government reform.
The proposal is designed to cut government waste and ultimately reduce taxes, according to Cuomo’s office.
The attorney general announced that he would work with Gov. David Paterson, leaders of the state Legislature, government reform groups and local government leaders across the state to streamline and consolidate local government.
`Despite New Yorkers drowning for decades in some of the nation’s highest taxes, local leaders have been blocked from reforming local government in an effort to cut government waste and reduce the tax burden,` Cuomo said.
`During this economic crisis, leaders have a historic opportunity to fundamentally reform this state’s patchwork quilt of local government entities. These layers upon layers of taxing entities have a chokehold on state residents, and antiquated and arcane laws governing them perpetuate government inefficiency. Our goal is to reform those laws so communities, where appropriate, can reduce local government burden and reduce the cost of living in this great state.`
Some of the thousands of governmental entities imposing taxes and fees includes towns, villages, districts and special districts such as water, sewer and lighting districts.
`We need to help our working families by doing everything we can to lower the cost of government,` Paterson said. `We cannot achieve real, sustainable property tax relief without addressing local government efficiency.`
Cuomo stated that the option to reorganize governmental entities would allow communities to provide vital services in a more efficient manner. But he said the current law is unable to solve the problem because it poses legal barriers and includes `anachronisms that make operational reform virtually impossible.`
Several state leaders and good government groups are backing Cuomo’s inititative.
Barbara Bartoletti of the League of Woman Voters said, `In this new economic reality, we applaud the attorney general for addressing an issue that will provide for the possibility of a leaner, more efficient government, and we look forward to working with his office as this process moves forward.`
In Albany County, shared municipal services have been in talks for the past couple of years. Some of it has brought controversy, such as a failed proposal two years ago to combine the Town of Berne Highway Department with Albany County’s.
Other initiatives appear to be more successful, such as several consortiums of municipalities that have been founded to deal with various services such as stormwater management, health insurance and even purchasing fuel oil.
`Over the years, many attempts to institute more efficient methods of governing through shared municipal services have been halted due to New York’s arcane legal barriers,` said Albany County Executive Mike Breslin.
`Attorney General Cuomo’s proposed legislation provides a process that takes down those road blocks and gives communities an opportunity to institute reform.` “