ASSEMBLY STANDING COMMITTEE ON GOVERMENTAL OPERATIONS
ASSEMBLY STANDING COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENTS
ASSEMBLY STANDING COMMITTEE ON REAL PROPERTY TAXATION
ASSEMBLY STANDING COMMITTEE ON CITIES

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
ORAL TESTIMONY WILL BE BY INVITATION ONLY

The 2010 - 2011 New York State Budget included several agency and office consolidations in an attempt to provide taxpayers with essential services at a reduced cost. The purpose of this hearing is to review and assess the implementation and outcome of two consolidation efforts, the consolidation that created the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, and the merger of the Office of Real Property Services into the Department of Taxation and Finance.

The Office of Homeland Security, the State Emergency Management Office, the State 911 Board, the Office of Cyber Security and Critical Infrastructure Coordination, and the Office of Fire Prevention and Control were merged to create the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (HSES). As part of this merger, the Office of Homeland Security became the Office of Counterterrorism and a new Office of Interoperability and Emergency Communications was created within the Division. In addition, an intrastate mutual aid program was established to provide a framework for municipal efforts to share resources and personnel in the case of a natural or man-made disaster, and several fire safety boards were consolidated into the Advisory Council for Fire Prevention and Control. It has been estimated that this merger will result in an annual savings of $1.5 million.

The 2010 - 2011 Budget also merged the Office of Real Property Services into the Department of Taxation and Finance (T&F) creating a new unit within the Department known as the Office of Real Property Tax Services. This merger expanded upon a preexisting hosting arrangement in which T&F provided operational support to ORPS, thereby eliminating ORPS' need to maintain its own Human Resources and Finance units. By further combining the two agencies through an agency merger, it was projected that a cost savings of up to $1.9 million dollars could be achieved.

This hearing will review the implementation and outcome of the two aforementioned consolidations. Specifically, we are interested in learning if estimated cost savings have been achieved and what effect the mergers have had on services to localities and taxpayers.

Persons invited to present testimony at the above hearing should direct their testimony to those selected issues set forth in this notice and complete and return the enclosed reply form as soon as possible. It is important that the reply form be fully completed and returned so that persons may be notified in the event of emergency postponement or cancellation.

Oral testimony will be accepted by invitation only. Twenty (20) copies of any prepared testimony should be submitted at the hearing registration desk. The Committees would appreciate advance receipt of prepared statements.

In order to meet the needs of those who may have a disability, the Assembly, in accordance with its policy of non-discrimination on the basis of disability, as well as the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), has made its facilities and services available to all individuals with disabilities. For individuals with disabilities, accommodations will be provided, upon reasonable request, to afford such individuals access and admission to Assembly facilities and activities.

I plan to attend the Governmental Operations, Local Governments, Real Property Taxation, and Cities public hearing on December 1, 2010

I have been invited to make a public statement at the hearing. My statement will be limited to ten minutes, and I will answer any questions which may arise. I will provide 20 copies of my prepared statement

I will address my remarks to the following subjects:

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I do not plan to attend the above hearing.

I would like to be added to the Committees' mailing list for notices and reports.

I would like to be removed from the Committees' mailing list.

I will require assistance and/or handicapped accessibility information. Please specify the type of assistance required:

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