State lawmaker: Consolidation ‘never going to happen'

[Viper 139]

Quote

 

PLEASANTVILLE – Assemblyman J. Gary Pretlow said Friday that Westchester County would forfeit its title as the most taxed county in the country if it consolidated local governments and schools.

 

Just one problem: there’s no will to do it.

 

“It’s never going to happen because Scarsdale is Scarsdale and Buchanan is Buchanan and Eastchester is Eastchester,” said Pretlow, a Mount Vernon Democrat. “We need our own little fire department, we need our own little police department with a captain.”

 

“Westchester County doesn’t need 40 police departments, one police department would serve us well,” he said. “Westchester County – I know this is not going to go over big with a lot of you out there – one school district. We don’t need 65 school districts. Could you imagine having one superintendent rather than 65?”

 

Assemblyman Tom Abinanti, a Greenburgh Democrat, said he didn’t think the state should take a role in pushing consolidation because communities like local control and identity.

 

 

http://www.lohud.com/story/news/politics/2017/04/28/pace-new-york-state/101024316/

[SECTMB 612]

Good for you J. Gary Pretlow. People before politics and special interests.  Admirable.

[AFS1970 504]

He forgot to add that all these towns, villages, cities, districts ect. would not need nearly as many elected officials. That might be a key reason that this will never see a vote.

 

[fdalumnus 165]

9 hours ago, AFS1970 said:

He forgot to add that all these towns, villages, cities, districts ect. would not need nearly as many elected officials. That might be a key reason that this will never see a vote.

 

BINGO !!!

[dwcfireman 656]

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Assemblyman Tom Abinanti, a Greenburgh Democrat, said he didn’t think the state should take a role in pushing consolidation because communities like local control and identity.

 

“I want to suggest to you that what makes Westchester Westchester is the local flavor of each of our communities,” he said. “And while we should be working together on those things that don’t affect the local flavor, we should not destroy a local flavor to chase this imaginary gain of saving taxes.”

 

My thought process makes me believe that Assemblyman Abinanti actually thinks that consolidation will destroy the "local flavors" of Westchester.  Does he really think that the local flavors will be taken away if there was a single county-run police department?  Fire department?  School district?  Police cars and fire trucks can be outfitted with the local patches on the doors to represent their little nook in the County.  School buses can still have the name of their local area on the side.  The local flavors would not be lost, especially since consolidation of SERVICES has no impact to regular people in their everyday lives.  Pleasantville, for example, will still see people going to Starbucks and getting on the train, and fighting through traffic during rush hour.  But Pleasantville would still be Pleasantville regardless of who is paying for the services.  Oh, wait, the tax payers pay for those services, and they'd be able to afford the vente coffee versus the grande because they're saving money on their tax bills!

[Chkpoint 131]

Residents would never go for consolidating schools and having 1big school district. Why?  Because the towns with great schools like Edgemont, Rye, Scarsdale who are some of the best in the country wouldn't no longer be just that.   And because segregation would be part of it.  Kids would then be allowed to go to any school and bussed in. Some locations would have their schools closed.  No one is going to go for that.  Consolidation of fire and police is more realistic but won't happen.  Not as long you get a 70k Chiefs car and free fuel as incentive.  New rig every couple years to toy with.  Savings would be huge in consolidation just won't happen.  

[10512 214]

The main problem is power.
The perception of power at least.
The savings of taxpayer money, no matter how great, will likely factor-in very little in these discussions.
...if any discussions, the people in power will not talk very long about this subject, because:

No one is going to want to give up the keys to their fiefdom, no matter how small it is.

 

However many Kingdoms there are in Westchester, will remain. (...and not just Westchester, the same consolidation arguments can be applied in many places, but common sense will not reign.)  

[patriotic 1]

All these comments are correct

I commend NYS Assemblyman Pretlow for bring it up

It is something that should be very strongly considered in Westchester County

 

However there is way to many people that are "feeding off" this current situation and/or system. Such as salaries, benefits, perks, power, authority, positions just to name a few

 

It is sad but true - It won't change

 

Adam

 

[EMT74 4]

My daughter lives in Maryland. Schools, fire, police are all county based. System works very well and the taxpayers get the advantage of lower taxes.  I have been saying for years that this system should be used in New York. However, I know this will never happen. Politics wins again over common sense.