ELMIRA, N.Y. -- After years of tossing the idea around, officials from Elmira and Chemung County have formally begun the discussion to possibly merge law enforcement teams. If it takes place, the merger would help Elmira climb out of its current financial crisis.
Officials are currently looking for a consultant to conduct a consolidation study.
"It certainly helps reduce cost, and we work together. What the study would focus on is, would it be possible for the two to come together?" said Chemung County Executive Tom Santulli.
This isn't the first time Elmira and other municipalities have discussed consolidating services with Chemung County. Elmira and the county already share building and grounds, IT, and purchasing departments.
"We just want to look for more ways to reduce redundancies and create efficiencies, and do it in such a way that it could create a savings, not to reduce the level of services," said Elmira City Manager Kimberlee Middaugh.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo has also put his support behind municipalities that consolidate services. He believes New York's thousands of taxing entities are holding the state back. That's why Cuomo has proposed a $20 million competition for local governments to devise cost-cutting plans.
It would need legislative approval, but Santulli thinks Chemung County is already setting a strong example.
"I think, quite frankly, we probably would be the most competitive. We're probably the only county in the state that has a city-county highway department merged. Now, we're all county employees," said Santulli.
The discussion to merge law enforcement teams is still in the preliminary stages. The next step is for the consultant to take a look at crime data in the area.
Officials say they hope to have a general blueprint for consolidation mid-year.