Republican lawmakers in the New York state Senate are pushing back against Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo's plan to force counties to look for ways to share services and pool their costs.
Cuomo has proposed requiring counties to create plans to reduce property taxes by consolidating government programs or sharing equipment. If county officials choose not to implement the cost-cutting plans they would go to local voters for approval.
Republican Sen. Kathy Marchione of Saratoga County on Tuesday urged Cuomo to amend his plan. She says it ignores the burden of unfunded state mandates, and is too punitive to local governments already working to become more efficient.
She says the state should look for ways to encourage efficiency, such as giving additional state funding to local communities that find ways to do more with less.
© 2017 AP
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