ROME – Officials from throughout Oneida County are discussing ways to consolidate or share their services.
Village, town and county leaders met Tuesday at Mohawk Valley Community College in Rome to talk about ways they can become more efficient.
Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente is working to implement a timeline for having a shared services plan. Some of the areas being discussed are labor negotiations, fire departments, courts, schools and villages. One major obstacle to overcome, however, is state law.
“Now the state says the only way you can do that, the only way you can eliminate a village court is you have to wait for that justice's term to be up,” Picente said. “The terms across this county and across this state are staggered in terms of elected officials. That makes it almost impossible in some areas to consolidate.”
Another shared services meeting is scheduled for Aug. 21 before bringing the ideas up for a public hearing. There will then be a vote by the Oneida County Board of Legislators before submitting the plans to the state.
