Referred to: The Ways and Means Committee (Chairman Gavaris and Legislators Collins, Hansut, Kovacs, Nolan, and Roberts)

Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, John Gavaris, and Deputy Chair Kevin A. Roberts offer the following:

WHEREAS, this resolution has been submitted at the request of the County Executive on behalf of the Department of Budget; and

WHEREAS, the New York State Local Government Efficiency (LGE) Grant Program offers funding to municipalities for projects that reduce operational costs and modernize service delivery, with an application deadline of January 24, 2025; and

WHEREAS, the County seeks authorization to apply for an LGE grant to pursue a 5-years shared services pilot program for municipal grant-writing; and

WHEREAS, the primary goal is to establish a centralized grant-writing team that will support municipalities within the county; and

WHEREAS, in years 1-3, the County will offer these services at no cost to participating municipalities, with a transition to a partial cost-share model in years 4 and 5, with full cost share being taken on in year 6; and

WHEREAS, this will streamline grant applications, foster collaboration among municipalities, and align funding applications with county priorities, maximizing the potential for securing funding for projects that address critical countywide needs; and

WHEREAS, the maximum Implementation Grant award amount for the Local Government Efficiency (LGE) Grant Program is $250,000 per local government, with a cumulative maximum of $1,250,000 for the project; and

WHEREAS, the LGE program requires a cost-share match equal to at least 10% of the total project cost ($138,890 at maximum award across the five-year period), which the County intends to fulfill using existing Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) positions, ensuring there is no additional impact on the County budget and no cost to participating municipalities; and

WHEREAS, the use of existing personnel for the cost-share match aligns with County objectives of improving efficiency without increasing financial burdens on taxpayers; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, the Director of Budget, or designee, is hereby authorized to submit an application, along with any required assurances, certifications, and additional documentation, for the LGE Grant Program to the New York State Department of State, consistent with the guidelines of the Program; and, be it further

RESOLVED, this application shall include the commitment to use existing Department FTEs as the required cost-share match for the project, ensuring that the County share is not increased,

and moves its adoption.

ADOPTED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:

AYES:                       NOES:             

Passed Committee: Ways and Means on ________________.

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

$1,250,000.00 – ESTIMATED ADDITIONAL REVENUE DOLLARS

     (NEW YORK DEPARTMENT OF STATE)

Match Requirement: 10%

Match Amount Required: $138,890

Match Proposed: $274,603 (1 year)

•         13401017 – 0.2 FTE & Fringe = $  31,880

•         13401952 – 1    FTE & Fringe = $123,626

•         13401951 – 1    FTE & Fringe = $119,096