By Dave Lucas
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Albany, NY – Acting New York Secretary of State Ruth Colon announced the release of a request for applications for up to $5 million in DOS LGE grants. Capital District Bureau Chief Dave Lucas reports.
The LGE program gives local leaders the opportunity to work together and identify ways to lower taxes by reducing local government costs while maintaining appropriate levels of service. The DOS says that since the LGE program beagn in 2005, local governments have identified $416 million in long-term savings opportunities from initial state investments of $46 million in 294 projects.
Average household savings generated by the program come to about 4.6 percent of local government taxes, which translates into a 93 percent annual rate of return for each state dollar invested in the program. There are various types of Local Government Efficiency Grants, including Planning grants and implementation grants, with up to $750,000 total available funding for High Priority Planning Grants and General Efficiency Planning Grants combined.
Schenectady County received an LGE grant to conduct a study to determine the feasibility, cost effectiveness and potential implementation methods for an improved and/or centralized emergency dispatch system to serve the five municipalities under its jurisdiction. Grant funding would provide for engagement for an outside consultant to assist municipal representatives in analyzing current systems including staffing, equipment and operations, and to determine the feasibility and logistics of implementing improvements based on best practices and other dispatch models. The desired outcomes of this project is a consensus of the Schenectady County municipalities on one proposed solution chosen from the recommend options that would realize countywide cost reductions and organizational efficiencies.
Efficiency Implementation Grants of up to $200,000 per municipality are also available, with a maximum total grant award of $1 million.
Grant Applications are available on the Department of State website..
Prospective applicants may also obtain applications by calling (518) 473-3355 or 1-800-367-8488.