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In a letter to their respective legislative bodies, City of Ithaca Mayor Svante Myrick and Tompkins County Legislature Chairman Michael Lane today proposed a State-funded study of the consolidation of City and County law enforcement agencies.

Legislation is being submitted to the Common Council and County Legislature that will authorize the two governments to jointly apply for State funding for the study, and to develop a request for proposals that will seek expert consultants to assist with the study.

In the jointly-signed letter, Myrick and Lane explained that "it is our strong belief that further consolidation of shared services between the two departments is an option that will result in both long and short-term cost savings and increased quality of police services for both the City and the County, and that resources exist to support the cost of finding ways to fully, and expertly, explore that option."

Myrick and Lane spoke of the groundwork for the consolidation laid by prior City-County cooperative ventures, including law enforcement initiatives ranging from the consolidation of public safety dispatching at the County's 911 Center to the joint S.W.A.T. operation.

Both leaders cited the State's encouragement for consolidations and shared services and the resources the State has made available to advance these initiatives, including ongoing Local Government Efficiency Grants and the $150 million Governor's Municipal Restructuring Fund allocated in the 2015-16 State budget.  Grants from these programs will be needed to fund what will certainly be a major and detailed study required to ensure that quality and cost objectives are met.

Legislation authorizing the preparation of a grant application and request for proposal will be considered by the County Legislature's Public Safety Committee at its October 19th meeting and by the Common Council's City Administration Committee October 21st.   If both committees approve the measure, a vote by the full Common Council will occur on November 4th and by the full County Legislature on November 5th.

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