Governor Andrew Cuomo is on a mission to shrink the size of government by eliminating the duplication of services between towns and villages in New York state.
The Governor stood in front of a packed house in the Village of Williamsville to discuss an initiative that would reduce property taxes by eliminating duplicate services at the local level.
He believes through public hearings, the community and civil leaders can devise plans to merge or eliminate excess buildings, staffing or services. Cuomo says tax payers can save billions over the next five years.
The village of Williamsville, like many others in Western New York often share services with a nearby town, in this case, the Town of Amherst.
Some 7 Eyewitness spoke with believe the consolidations would cut costs, others believe the current system is money well spent.
"There's a price for everything," Village of Williamsville resident Julian Macy told 7 Eyewitness News.
"I examined a tax bill from my house before I bought it and I knew that there was an extra cost associated with the village and I don't mind paying it."
