Ulster, Dutchess outline shared-services savings

County leaders in Ulster and Dutchess predict the counties can save more than $34,000 per year each by expanding their conflict defender program.

That plan — in which both counties would hire full-time assistant public defenders to represent clients when conflicts exist — is one of a number of proposed collaborations outlined by the two counties in paperwork to be submitted to the state as part Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s call for

shared services and property tax savings.

The 2017-18 state budget requires counties to develop a property tax savings plan for shared, coordinated and efficient services among the county, cities and villages.

Ulster County has produced a plan that, if fully implemented, could result in $1.7 million in savings annually to property taxpayers in communities participating in the consolidation efforts.

As outlined in the plan, the town and village of Saugerties would realize a combined $234,458 in annual savings by co-locating

their highway and public works departments in a single facility, eliminating the need for new construction.

A shared municipal center for the town and village of New Paltz could save taxpayers there some $886,050 a year, and the ongoing plan for the Ulster County to take over the city of Kingston bus system would save roughly $234,000, the Ulster plan says.

Ulster County would save an expected $110,690 annually by building an addition to a second-floor mezzanine in the rotunda of the county Law Enforcement Center that would house the county’s 911 system rather than build a new facility to replace the existing outdated building.

The projects also are included

in proposal by the county for a $20 million state grant. Ulster County is one of six municipalities statewide to make it to the final round of the Municipal Consolidation and Efficiency Competition, which is intended to encourage government consolidation and efficiencies.

Dutchess County’s shared-services plan says it would save taxpayers $13.9 million in the first year and roughly $11.4 million thereafter.

The 35-point Dutchess plan would give municipalities the ability to tap into the county’s buying power for a number of items, including salt purchases, paving, highway equipment rental and a variety of information technologies.

In Northern Dutchess, proposals include exploring the possibility of consolidating courts in the village and town of Rhinebeck and the village and town of Red Hook; looking at a municipal solar farm project between the town of Red Hook and the villages of Red Hook and Tivoli; and the formalization an agreement between the towns of Red Hook and Rhinebeck and villages of Red Hook, Rhinebeck and Tivoli to operate a joint public-access TV channel that would air municipal meetings. Those five municipalities otherwise would have to provide their own studios and broadcast technology.

Before being submitted to the state, the plans must be approved by the county legislatures.