Archive: Around Town

Innovative programs undertaken by Tompkins County government were discussed today as part of a leadership forum held in Rochester.  Tompkins County was invited to participate in the forum, held as part of the PAYGoNY initiative, a program focused on finding and eliminating barriers to more efficient government and developing new, more efficient ways of delivering service.

Tompkins County Legislature Chair Martha Robertson highlighted the County’s successes achieved through shared services and intermunicipal collaboration.

“Tompkins County is committed to collaborative approaches that save taxpayer dollars and often provide better service at the same time,” Robertson notes. “A prime example is our Health Benefits Consortium, which brings most of the municipal employees and retirees from local governments within the county into a larger insurance pool. As a result, countywide, we're saving nearly $1 million annually on premiums and administrative costs. This and other initiatives have greatly benefitted Tompkins County residents over the years.”

Other successes discussed include collaboration of county municipalities through the Tompkins County Council of Governments; the County’s countywide assessment program (one of only two such programs in the state); its consolidated Emergency 911 system; and its award-winning digitization of county records (much of that grant-funded), which avoided several million dollars in expense to construct a County records center, with services now extended to other county municipalities.

The PAYGoNY program, initiated by Ulster County Executive Michael Hein, has been endorsed by the New York State Association of Counties, the Association of Towns, and the New York State Conference of Mayors.  Today’s Rochester forum was one of several being held throughout the state.

“Local governments are facing fiscal challenges head-on, and PAYGoNY is working to bring together the best ideas and strategies from all regions of the state,” said Ulster Executive Hein. “We must seize this opportunity and capitalize on the vast experience of our local officials in order to both protect taxpayers and deliver high-quality services.”

PAYGo NY will conclude with a final report to state and local leaders. The PAYGoNY report will contain local solutions that have been successful and can be replicated statewide, as well as state legislative policy recommendations aimed at removing state barriers to local government innovation and reform.

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