NORWICH – A state commission examining local government efficiency has again asked the Town of North Norwich, Town of Norwich and City of Norwich to take part in a shared-services study, local and state officials confirmed Tuesday.
Albany’s first attempt at facilitating a three-way municipal collaboration study failed in November after the Town of Norwich board passed a resolution against participating and the Town of North Norwich took no action to join.
The city, with a weakening tax base, rising fixed costs and no room to expand, has led the charge to examine consolidation.
This time around, North Norwich and the city are taking part, officials say, and have provided financial data and departmental breakdowns to the private consultant conducting the study. It will be funded 100 percent by the state.
The Town of Norwich is scheduled to meet with the consulting firm next week, said Supervisor Dave Law, but Law said he only plans on providing a one-page copy of the town board’s resolution to conduct another fire district study for the greater Norwich area.
“That’s the only thing the town board has made a resolution to look into,” said Law. “A fire district.”
According to the resolution, the town board wants locals, not Albany, to examine the feasibility of creating such a fire district before it will look at sharing services in other areas.
The state collaboration would look at each municipalities’ operations individually and point out inefficiencies and ways to cut costs, said John Clarkson, executive director of the New York State Commission on Local Government Efficiency and Competitiveness. If applicable, it would also point out possible areas where consolidation of services between the three governments could occur.
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