County Consolidation

[ny10570 745]

The county is proposing consolidating 36 departments into 19 at an estimated savings of $7.5 million. The Westchester Association of Fire Chiefs is apparently unhappy with this. The email I received only gave these links, a couple links to public hearing sessions, and a message imploring people to act now. It didn't actually explain what exactly is so bad. Maybe the folks here at Bravo can clear this up.

http://www.westchesterlegislators.com/MediaCenter/articleDetail.asp?artid=1163

http://www.westchesterlegislators.com/MediaCenter/2009/2010%20County%20Budget%20-%20Restructured.pdf

[COMMANDCHIEF 4]

I think the main point of the problem is the fact that the legislature is going to vote on this Monday without really having a plan on how it's actually going to be done. How the fire service/ems is going to be represented under the broad umbrella of DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY. Some very important questions have yet to be answered. The county legislation is trying to ram this through like the National Health Care Bill .

[Remember585 815]

What is the Solid Waste Department and how does it even relate to law enforcement and emergency services? Are we going to be dispatching garbage trucks?!

[SRS131EMTFF 471]

What is being presented is a consolidation of county departments to reduce the redundancy that exists within the various departments and the county government. I personally know several of the legislators and the people that serve on the Citizens Budget Advisory Committee and trust me when I say I know with out a shred of doubt that they would be under taking this task if they did not feel it was worthy, useful and practical. I fail to see where any problems exist other than the new Public Safety department will have more tasks but not the unneeded positions that make this county the highest taxed in the nation.

PS, when people clamor over the fact that we pay the most taxes in the country while true, it is a twisting of facts. We pay the most taxes per person not the highest percent. Think about all of those billions and millions made by those who one land in the northern parts. All of this information is from your lovely elected officials so dont shoot the messenger

[Bnechis 3,961]

What is the Solid Waste Department and how does it even relate to law enforcement and emergency services? Are we going to be dispatching garbage trucks?!

Solid waste is what the County BOL is full of.

County Exec elect Astorino, suggested consolidation over 4 years ago and the BOL & Spano told him to get lost. THey did nothing to rain in costs, expanding every department.

Now Asterino wins, and many including "boss" Ryan almost get booted and in less than 4 weeks and without any study they manage to reorganize the entire managment structure of county government. I found it particularly interesting that they got rid of positions that are vacant and claimed the savings. THey also got rid of positions that actually bring money into the county.

The new CE takes office in less than 3 weeks and the BOL needs to prove they can get the job done fast, since they have done nothing in the past 12 years. The Asterino transition team has hundreds of people looking at every department in the county to evaluate what is the best way to make this happen.

Mel Brooks said it best (as Governor William J. Le Petomane in Blazing Saddles):

Holy underwear! Sheriff murdered! Innocent women and children blown to bits! We have to protect our phoney baloney jobs here, gentlemen! We must do something about this immediately! Immediately! Immediately! Harrumph! Harrumph! Harrumph!

[M' Ave 1,466]

This county is SCREAMING for consolidation. There are 50 some odd fire departments. How many different 911 answering points?

Even if you simply consolidated all of the small city and village fire departments into a town wide department. You've got a major savings there. Career staff would be better utilized, so would volunteer staff. There would need to be FAR fewer apparatus as well! There should be about a dozen departments in this county. Yonkers, Mount Vernon, New Rochelle, White Plains and one for every town....IMHO

[Guest WCDES636]

What is the Solid Waste Department and how does it even relate to law enforcement and emergency services? Are we going to be dispatching garbage trucks?!

They are full of Solid Waste!!!!!!

[WAS967 97]

They are full of Solid Waste!!!!!!

I didn't get a Harrumph out of that guy!

[Medic5274 45]

The county is proposing consolidating 36 departments into 19 at an estimated savings of $7.5 million. The Westchester Association of Fire Chiefs is apparently unhappy with this. The email I received only gave these links, a couple links to public hearing sessions, and a message imploring people to act now. It didn't actually explain what exactly is so bad. Maybe the folks here at Bravo can clear this up.

http://www.westchesterlegislators.com/MediaCenter/articleDetail.asp?artid=1163

http://www.westchesterlegislators.com/MediaCenter/2009/2010%20County%20Budget%20-%20Restructured.pdf

People are jumping way ahead of the facts with this one. The proposal that is being discussed on this forum was put forth by a rogue group of Democratic Legislators and was not developoed under the guidance of the entire Legislature. In fact many of their Democratic colleagues including Chairman of the Board Bill Ryan are not on board with the proposal at this time. This is a rather ingenius attempt to be fiscal saviors by these Legislators that have done nothing during the past twelve years under Andy Spano to put forth a cost saving proposal to help the overburdened taxpayers of this County.

County Executive-Elect Astorino has campaigned on reducing County government which might include the consolidation of some departments. He has not yet put forward a comprehensive plan for his administration and I think everyone should wait to see what he puts forward. I understand he has assembled a Transition Team that is examining every county department to identify cost savings, efficiencies, possible consolidations or out right elimination of departments. Lets not throw out rumors until a formal presentation of the future of DPS and DES is made. Peoples jobs are on the line and they should not have to be listening to new rumors everyday that may or may not impact their livelyhood and families.

[Bnechis 3,961]

I understand he (County Executive-Elect Astorino)has assembled a Transition Team that is examining every county department to identify cost savings, efficiencies, possible consolidations or out right elimination of departments. Lets not throw out rumors until a formal presentation of the future of DPS and DES is made. Peoples jobs are on the line and they should not have to be listening to new rumors everyday that may or may not impact their livelyhood and families.

The transition team is not just looking to cut. It was charged with evaluating what works & what does not work & to give CE Astorino a "snap shot" of everything and an initial road map.

Very well said. Rumors do not help anyone.

That being said, I still didn't get a Harrumph out of that guy!

Tonight News 12 reported that Spano is against the BOL, last minute try, and I heard other members of the board are also against it. Lets just wait and see what the CE elect comes up with.

Edited December 12, 2009 by Bnechis

[SageVigiles 1,194]

Consolidation always sounds like a good idea, but it needs, like any governmental issue, to occur after a rational and thought out conversation, which we all know rarely happens. Any debts a particular district has will not go away, and if district A and B are to combine, and district A has a $1,000,000 debt, either District A has to pony up before the consolidation, or District B (INCLUDING ITS TAXPAYERS) has to be willing to accept part of that financial responsibility.

Yes, consolidation can save ALOT of money, if its done correctly. It cuts down on redundancy of resources and can help foster better relations and cooperation between different towns or districts. It also allows for more cost effective training.

Politicians are not the only key to a good consolidation effort, its also going to take WILLING Chiefs, taxpayers, lawyers and the support of the FD rank and file.

[Goose 188]

The problem in westchester isn't so much the County, in my eyes, it's the local municipalities. The County can't do anything in the way of consolidating towns, villages, hamlets etc. and their services. Combining highway, refuse and public safety services on the local level is where you will see the biggest dollars saved, if you ask me.

This is just posturing by a bunch of ignorant legislatures to make it appear as if they are addressing the public's concern regarding the tax situation.

[helicopper 1,050]

The county is proposing consolidating 36 departments into 19 at an estimated savings of $7.5 million. The Westchester Association of Fire Chiefs is apparently unhappy with this. The email I received only gave these links, a couple links to public hearing sessions, and a message imploring people to act now. It didn't actually explain what exactly is so bad. Maybe the folks here at Bravo can clear this up.

http://www.westchesterlegislators.com/MediaCenter/articleDetail.asp?artid=1163

http://www.westchesterlegislators.com/MediaCenter/2009/2010%20County%20Budget%20-%20Restructured.pdf

What exactly are the Chief's unhappy about?

It is safe to say that there will be changes at the County level under the new administration but how would that negatively impact an independent and autonomous fire department or district?

County Executive-Elect Astorino has campaigned on reducing County government which might include the consolidation of some departments. He has not yet put forward a comprehensive plan for his administration and I think everyone should wait to see what he puts forward. I understand he has assembled a Transition Team that is examining every county department to identify cost savings, efficiencies, possible consolidations or out right elimination of departments. Lets not throw out rumors until a formal presentation of the future of DPS and DES is made. Peoples jobs are on the line and they should not have to be listening to new rumors everyday that may or may not impact their livelyhood and families.

Well said! It's more of the Chicken Little, rile everyone up so they're against it before they even know what is they're against!

[helicopper 1,050]

The problem in westchester isn't so much the County, in my eyes, it's the local municipalities. The County can't do anything in the way of consolidating towns, villages, hamlets etc. and their services. Combining highway, refuse and public safety services on the local level is where you will see the biggest dollars saved, if you ask me.

This is just posturing by a bunch of ignorant legislatures to make it appear as if they are addressing the public's concern regarding the tax situation.

True, though I wouldn't call the legislators ignorant. It's just reactive and government is all too often reactive instead of proactive. Many fear for their jobs so they're now looking at what will save them or at least get them reelected.

I look at it this way - if you eliminate County government you eliminate 1 pickpocket out of hundreds. Are you still gonna get your pocket picked? You betcha. On the other hand, if local governments and school districts were reorganized maybe there would only be two or three pickpockets. Harumph harumph!