Shared Administrative Services Program (2015 LGAA)

Cities of Geneva and Canandaigua (Winners)
County: Ontario County
Population: 10,000 or More
Geneva City Hall: (315) 789-2603
Canandaigua City Hall: (585) 396-5000

Like many other local governments, the Cities of Canandaigua and Geneva are facing fiscal pressures relating to revenue constraints and escalating costs. As budget development got underway, both Cities realized that new approaches were needed in multiple areas to address financial challenges without compromising the level of service to constituents. Information Technology (IT) services are among the most expensive and technically demanding support services. Both cities had been delivering IT services through a combination of professional staff and a public-private partnership with Integrated Services of Victor. A workload analysis revealed that both communities would benefit from a high level IT management position, and a moderately-experienced desktop support staffer. Understanding that neither City could afford to take this step independently, a closer look at workload data suggested that two individuals would have the capacity to address the needs of both Geneva and Canandaigua

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A collaborative team, consisting of administrative, finance, and human resources talent from both cities worked together to develop an intermunicipal agreement, which spelled out the level of service to be achieved for both communities, and the cost-sharing arrangement. Once approved by each City Council, the team set out to recruit qualified candidates. The City of Geneva’s IT Director was identified as the appropriate person to provide management level direction toward development of IT services in both communities. The team identified a new person for desktop support services whom the communities would share. Today, both communities now have a full-time staff person on-site during routine work days. Several days per week, the municipalities benefit from the experience and training of the IT Director, and several days, an experienced desktop support person is on-site. After hours response protocols have been developed to ensure 24-hour service to both communities. The Cities have maintained their relationship with Integrated Systems, who provide network support and off-site backup for each City.

In the summer of 2014, both Cities had Real Property Assessors who had announced their intentions to retire. Each community conducted a workload analysis to determine whether a full-time employee would be needed to continue to deliver services at an appropriate level. Both determined that a part-time professional assessor could accomplish the technical objectives of the service. That said, both Cities understood that attracting a qualified and motivated part-time assessor (let alone two) would be difficult. Additionally, if both Cities approached this on our own, they would end up competing against each other for a limited pool of talent. The Cities agreed that a single full-time position, with full professional benefits that served both municipalities, could be an attractive position to a professional assessor. An intermunicipal agreement was developed which spelled out the level of service to be achieved for both communities, and the cost-sharing arrangement. Once approved by both City Councils, the team set out to recruit qualified candidates and is currently in the interview stage. Both Cities will see a reduction in costs with no corresponding reduction in service. Based upon the success of these two programs, the City Councils in each community are preparing to meet to identify other opportunities for collaborative service delivery.