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Deputy county executive hired to implement governor’s shared services initiative

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone announced on Tuesday that Jon Kaiman, a former North Hempstead Supervisor, will join the administration as deputy county executive with a focus on leading Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Shared Services initiative.

The initiative requires counties outside of New York City to prepare “a plan for shared, coordinated and efficient services among the units of local governments contained within the county, excluding school districts,” according to the governor’s office. The plan aims to eliminate or consolidate duplicative services. Each county must submit a draft plan by Aug. 1 to its county legislative body, which then has 45 days to review the plan. If no action is taken, the plan will automatically be put on the ballot for voters in the November election.

If voters reject the plan, county government must prepare a new plan for November 2018.

Mr. Kaiman most recently worked as president of Arden Claims Service, which is based in Port Washington, and he will step down from that role to begin as deputy county executive.

“As a former Town Supervisor on Long Island, I look forward to working with local officials in a manner that is meaningful and helpful to them to make government more efficient, less costly and ultimately work better for all of the people we serve,” Mr. Kaiman said in a statement.

Mr. Kaiman is an attorney and former Nassau County District Court judge who had also been appointed by Gov. Cuomo to serve as special advisor for Long Island Storm Recovery following Superstorm Sandy in 2012. He served five terms as North Hempstead Town Supervisor.

“I am excited that Jon will be leading my administration’s efforts to streamline bureaucracy and deliver savings for Suffolk County taxpayers under Governor Cuomo’s new Shared Services initiative,” Mr. Bellone said in a statement.

Employees from different county offices will be temporarily assigned to a Shared Services Working Group to work on the initiative, according to the county.

Mr. Bellone endorsed the initiative back in February before the state budget was approved.

“Gov. Cuomo’s proposal is a common sense plan to promote fiscal responsibility and put more money back into hardworking Long Island taxpayers’ pockets,” Mr. Bellone said at the time.

Photo caption: County Executive Steve Bellone pictured in 2016.

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