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Government Downsizing Catching Steam

By Sharon Osorio

July 9, 2010 Updated Jul 16, 2008 at 6:04 PM EST

Attorney Kevin Gaughan's goal to consolidate and downsize local government is moving forward in some parts of Erie County.
The Village of Lancaster plans on cutting two of its Board of Trustees members through attrition, cutting the amount of trustees from six to four. The members will likely decide on Monday, August 4, whether the referendum for village voters will be to cut both positions in March 2009, or cut one at that time and cut the second in 2011. Once that decision is made, village residents will have their chance to vote on the referendum in the general election in November.
The Village of North Collins is also taking Gaughan's message to the voters. The Village plans on merging with the Town of North Collins, pending village residents approving the merge through a vote.
But other villages don't think Gaughan's plan is as cut-and-dry as Gaughan suggests. Mayor Ernie Jewett of the Village of Blasdell says Gaughan's information falls short of determining whether merging or downsizing would actually save money. He also says the big governmental expenses come from mandates in Washington, DC, and Albany, not the village itself.
Gaughan told a room full of businesspeople last week that there are more elected officials in Erie County than representatives in US Congress, and that $32 million of taxpayer money in Erie County is spent on salaries for all those officials.
While the Village of Lancaster is proposing to downsize its board, the mayor says residents are not interested in merging with the Town of Lancaster. He adds that the village has already consolidated and merged several services, such as the police.

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