Government

Suffolk officials schedule public meetings to discuss shared services initiative

Suffolk County officials have scheduled a series of public meetings to discuss a shared services initiative aimed at streamlining bureaucracy and finding savings among local municipalities, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone announced Wednesday in a press release.

An upcoming meeting will be held Monday, July 10, at 6 p.m. at Southampton Town Hall.

“While Suffolk County and local municipalities have been sharing services for decades, this new initiative provides us with the opportunity to expand these efforts in a comprehensive, organized and efficient manner in order to achieve real savings on an ongoing basis,” County deputy executive Jon Kaiman said in the release. “The community meetings will help us develop our plan in a manner consistent with the input and expectations of our residents and municipal leaders.”

The state’s Countywide Shared Services Initiative was signed into law earlier this year, requiring county, town and village officials to vote on a plan that proposes new intermunicipal services that would save tax dollars through coordinated actions, officials said.

The Suffolk County Legislature is expected to approve a shared service plan by Aug. 11. Then, the Suffolk Shared Services Panel, which includes Mr. Bellone, town supervisors and village mayors, will vote on the plan by mid-September.

If approved, local municipalities will be eligible to receive one-time matching funds from the state.

Meetings will also be held July 10 at 11 a.m. at East Hampton Town Hall; July 11 at 1 p.m. at Babylon Town Hall; and July 18 at 6 p.m. at Huntington Town Hall.

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