(WKTV) - On Wednesday, Governor David Paterson told New Yorkers its time to spend more efficiently. One way to achieve that goal, the Governor says, is to consolidate services from governments, to school districts.

Consolidation has been a hot topic among governments, from local to state, as of late. Just last month, a report from the Chairman of the New York State Commission on Property Tax Relief was released. The report suggests one of the best ways to help ease the burden on tax payers is to consolidate small school districts. Many of those districts are in the Mohawk Valley.

The report suggests consolidating schools that have an enrollment of less than 1,000. 

That would affect six districts in Herkimer County:

• Dolgeville
• Mohawk
• Poland
• Town Of Webb
• Owen D. Young
• West Canada

Nine districts would be affected in Otsego County:

• Schenevus
• Cherry Valley
• Edmeston
• Gilbertsville-Mount Upton
• Laurens
• Milford
• Morris
• Richfield Springs
• Worcester

Only four of 15 districts in Oneida County would be affected:

• New York Mills
• Oriskany
• Remsen 
• Waterville

The report is just a suggestion, but Paterson believes it's a good one.

"We have, I think, too many school districts," Paterson said in an interview Thursday morning.

Herkimer B.O.C.E.S. Superintendent Sandra Simpson says consolidation has been a topic of discussion for as long as she can remember, and admits that the topic is controversial. 

Simpson says unless districts are forced to do it, consolidation won't happen easily.

She does however say sharing services is a step in the right direction.

"In tough economic times everything must be considered. The smaller (district) you are, the more challenging it is to deliver the basic requirements because it is so expensive to do that." Simpson said.