Every couple of years state or federal money becomes available to conduct consolidation studies usually between two diametrically existing entities for some convoluted idea that someone suggested. The last time this happened was for the proposed consolidation of the Town of Greenburgh and the Dobbs Ferry Police Departments. Out of the seven departments that could have participated, ABG still doesn’t understand how Greenburgh was picked to consolidate with Dobbs Ferry? ABG believed part of the reason was that the grant money available for the study was specific to those two police departments – and that’s it. Ironically, once former Chief of the Greenburgh Police Department John Kapica had retired, he confirmed our suspicions that the only reason the study was performed was because the grant money was there and it didn’t cost “us” anything to do. ABG begs to differ as our tax dollars, at any level, shouldn’t be urinated away as “found money.”
Now the consolidation is for two river towns’ Departments of Public Works. Again, the favored Dobbs Ferry, with new candidate, Hastings-on-Hudson. Ironically, Dobbs Ferry DPW has a brand new, state of the art highway garage and Hastings has a dilapidated garage on highly desirable real estate that the Village believes it could sell for a sizable profit. But then what? Before they sell the property, the land would need some type of remediation performed to make it “whole” again. They need to find a new location for the garage, float the necessary bonds to construct a new building, and even if the various neighbors agree to it, relocate everything to the new location. It seems a daunting task that would certainly see an interruption of service. And that’s assuming everything goes correctly.
The savings that consolidations produce are only talk right now. Greenburgh residents are promised to see a press release almost any day now from The Paul, stating the value of this. However, the $50k to study will require the hiring of a consultant “expert” who will come back to say the two Villages will save hundreds and possibly thousands by consolidating. The posturing will create a bit of news buzz with the weekly newspapers, one article in the Journal News and then it will be over. Hopefully, the people will see the futility of this after wasting the $50k from the state and say no to this fantasy study.
The Villages within the Town already participate in a purchasing consortium and work extremely well together with equipment cross-utilization, purchasing, mutual aid, etcetera. The Town of Greenburgh does not. When ABG asked one Mayor why the Town doesn’t participate, he couldn’t say. He excogitated that ego may be a factor. ABG believes it’s more arrogance than ego. Regardless, we’re disappointed that purchases of asphalt used for blacktopping can be had more inexpensively by the Villages than the Town; or that specialized equipment already owned by one Village may be lent to another but not the Town.
There is certainly room for collaboration between the Villages and the Town of Greenburgh. There may even be room for consolidation. But by picking departments out of thin air to “consolidate” is disingenuous whether the state supplies the funding for it or not. The Consortium of Villages proves that inter-agency savings can be had if done right with leadership that “gets it” and are trying to do the right thing for their community. The Paul isn’t interested in doing the right thing for the Town anymore. It’s time for him to go. We can only hope.
