Governor Hochul Announces $8 Million Awarded to Local Governments for Efficiency and Shared Service Initiatives

Governor Hochul has announced $8 million in grant awards for 21 projects that are designed to create efficiencies and lower costs for local governments across New York State. The funding is administered by NYS Department of State through its competitive Local Government Efficiency Grant (LGEG) Program which incentivizes New York municipalities to engage in partnerships that aim to make New York communities more affordable by reducing municipal costs through consolidations, shared services, and internal efficiencies. The opportunity creates both short- and long-term savings for counties, cities, towns, villages and other governmental entities.

"We are constantly working with our local government partners to make New York State a more affordable place to live, do business and raise a family, and many of our local governments are looking to do the same," Governor Hochul said. "These municipalities are joining forces, looking at opportunities to lower costs and ultimately save taxpayers money. We will continue to work together and support measures that result in streamlined services."

New York Secretary of State Walter T. Mosley said, "The LGEG program provides an excellent return-on-investment for New York State as it encourages municipalities to problem solve together to bolster services and amplify savings. Under the Governor's leadership, this new round of funding will help local governments address both current and emerging challenges, to accomplish what ultimately matters the most: effective municipal services and tax savings for residents."

The Local Government Efficiency Grant Program provides both planning and implementation funding to local governments that apply to the competitively scored grant program. As modified in the 2024-25 budget, the LGEG program currently awards individual municipalities with up to $20,000 for planning grants and up to $250,000 for implementation grants.

Awarded projects include:

Capital Region:

• Town of Hunter: $1,250,000
• Town of Petersburgh: $358,107
• Warren County: $422,668

Central New York:

• Cazenovia Central School District: $40,000
• Madison County: $20,850

Finger Lakes Region:

• Village of Avon: $500,000
• Village of Brockport: $476,619
• Livingston County Water and Sewer Authority: $642,150
• Wyoming County Planning and Development: $75,000

Mid-Hudson Region:

• Town of Carmel: $1,200,000
• Town of Liberty: $21,675
• Livingston Manor Central School District: (Rockland CSD) $450,000
• Village of Rye Brook: $25,000
• Ulster County: $40,000

Mohawk Valley Region:

• Village of Fonda: $50,000

North Country Region:

• Village of Copenhagen: $682,418
• Lewis County: $1,053,070

Southern Tier Region:

• Village of Montour Falls: $32,120
• Southern Tier Central Regional Planning and Development Board: $20,000
• Tompkins County: $324,000

Western New York Region:

• Town of Evans: $316,323

Assemblymember Michaelle Solages said, "Local governments are on the frontlines of service delivery, and their ability to work efficiently is key to strengthening our communities. These Local Government Efficiency Grants help municipalities collaborate, modernize operations, and reduce costs for taxpayers. I applaud Governor Hochul and the Department of State for supporting innovative partnerships that make government work better for the people of New York."

New York State Association of Counties President Phil Church said, "Counties across New York are constantly seeking ways to improve efficiency and these grant awards are a powerful tool for empowering local governments to collaborate, innovate, and deliver essential services more effectively. Investments like these strengthen our communities, help drive long-term savings, and support the critical work of our local leaders across the state."

New York State Conference of Mayors Executive Director Barbara Van Epps said, "NYCOM appreciates the Department of State's continued commitment to the Local Government Efficiency Grant Program. This funding helps our members advance shared service initiatives that reduce costs, streamline operations, and enhance the delivery of services to their residents. Furthermore, these projects demonstrate the power of collaboration in building stronger, more sustainable communities throughout New York State."

New York Association of Towns Executive Director Christopher A. Koetzle said, "The New York Association of Towns would like to thank the Department of State for this generous round of the Local Government Efficiency Grant (LGEG) Program. State support via financial assistance often is the critical element in executing local projects. While towns annually generate nearly $200 million in revenue through shared services, the LGEG's grant reimbursement program encourages new efficiencies. NYAOT looks forward to working with the Department to continue to support towns and their residents."

Applications are evaluated based on the potential return on investment (ROI), project need, service delivery benefits, operational changes, local and regional capacity, project readiness (ability to complete the project in 5 years) and the comprehensiveness and specificity of the work plan and budget. In this round, priority scoring points were awarded to applications that included one or more of five target functions set by DOS, including: information technology services (ITS) including cybersecurity; emergency management services (EMS); shared code enforcement and planning; water and wastewater management; and climate change initiatives; as well as applications implementing of a previous LGEG planning project or inclusion in a previously adopted or pending Countywide Shared Services Initiative (CWSSI) Plan. All awards are reimbursement grants.

In recent years, DOS has made 655 project awards through its local government efficiency program opportunities, totaling over $121 million in award funding. The estimated long-term savings for local government recipients is over $684 million.

Eligible Local Government entities are counties, cities, towns, villages, special improvement districts, fire districts, public libraries, association libraries, public library systems (if they advance a joint application on behalf of member libraries), water authorities, sewer authorities, regional planning and development boards, school districts, and Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES).

Local Government Efficiency Grants may be used to cover costs integral to project implementation including but not limited to: legal and consultant services; capital improvements and equipment; and transitional personnel costs not to exceed three years.

A new Request for Applications (RFA) for the next round of awards is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

The LGEG grant program is administered by the Division of Local Government Services within the Department of State. The Division provides technical assistance and competitive grants to local governments. For more information on LGEG or any programs administered by the Division, please contact [email protected]or call 518-473-3355.

Contact the Governor's Press Office