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

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.

City of Batavia
County: Genesee County
Population: 10,001 to 50,000
City Hall: (585) 345-6330

The City of Batavia is self insured for active employees, spouses and retiree health insurance. Employee benefit costs - particularly health insurance - have a significant impact on the City's budget with little to no control over costs. In order to gain more control over rising health insurance costs, the City made a complete shift in the way it looked at health insurance. The new program focuses on influencing employee behavior and stresses preventative care; thereby minimizing the development of serious health conditions and risky behaviors which ultimately lead to higher health care costs.

City of Norwich (Winner)
County: Chenango County
Population: 5,001 to 10,000
City Hall: (607) 334-1207

The City of Norwich has entered into a shared services agreement with the Norwich City School District that is advantageous to both entities, saves taxpayer dollars and increases school safety. The agreement, signed in April 2012, trades police services provided by the City's police force for in-kind information technology (IT) services provided by employees of the school district's IT department.

Villages of: Ardsley, Dobbs Ferry, Elmsford, Hastings-on-Hudson, Irvington, Sleep Hollow, Tarrytown (Winners)
County: Westchester County
Population: Less than 5,000
Village Hall: (914) 952-6555

In 2003, the Village Officials Committee (VOC) began meeting to discuss matters of mutual interest involving six Villages in Westchester County and the Town of Greenburgh, and to collaborate on the common goal of improving the quality of life in each of the respective communities. Over time, the VOC's primary focus evolved toward the sharing of services and equipment, and the generation of ideas to save money, time and energy for all of the villages involved.

Village of Minoa (Winner)
County: Onondaga County
Population: Less than 5,000
Village Hall: (315) 656-3100

Fifteen years ago, the Village of Minoa was under a consent order for not meeting new DEC requirements. Out of that consent order came the request for the Village to build a construction wetland project to see if older technology would work in this climate. When the project was originally turned over to the Village by the engineers, it did not work. Three days later, the Waste Water Treatment Facility (WWTF) Superintendent had it working, which marked the beginning of the Village's innovative journey.

City of Binghamton (Winner)
County: Broome County
Population: 10,001 to 50,000
City Hall: (607) 772-7000

This project marks the first time that a single Broome County-based police chief or set of police chiefs has served multiple police departments at the same time. The City of Binghamton and Village of Johnson City agreed that the police chief and assistant chiefs should increase their regular work hours and then split their time between the two municipalities, with the police chief spending half his time in each municipality and the assistant chiefs each spending 75% of their time in Binghamton and 25% of their time in Johnson City. In practice, this arrangement means that every day the chief and one of the two assistant chiefs serve each municipality for half a day.

City of Glen Cove (Winner)
County: Nassau County
Population: 10,001 to 50,000
City Hall: (516) 676-2004

In December 2009, Mayor Ralph Suozzi and the City Council passed the Visual Simulation Ordinance, making Glen Cove one of the first municipalities in the nation to require "visual simulations" or 3D digital animations for proposed large scale developments in order to enable viewers to literally see how these projects would impact the community.

City of Binghamton
County: Broome County
Population: 10,001 to 50,000
City Hall: (607) 772-7000

In 2006, the City of Binghamton faced severe financial challenges, and despite the cost-savings reforms that flowed from commissions and similar measures, the national economic crisis that started in 2007 only exacerbated the City's fiscal difficulties. As a result, Mayor Ryan took his commitment to partnership to the next level in a three-part initiative known as the Collaborative Budget Process. The first part of this initiative was the 2010 Interactive Budget Module, which allowed any resident to create their own budget, and then see how their decisions would affect their property tax bill. The second part entailed bringing all seven members of City Council into the 2010 Budget Process from the very start to allow for greater input. The third part of this initiative involved extending the budget process several weeks to allow for more accurate financial projections for 2010. Using these measures the City was able to create a process in which residents could take direct action in the improvement of the City's fiscal state.

Village of Watkins Glen (Winner)
County: Schuyler County
Population: Less than 5,000
Village Hall: (607) 535-2763

In an effort to put property with 400+ feet of lake frontage on the tax rolls, the Village of Watkins Glen needed to relocate two of its departments, at a cost of approximately $2 million. It was learned that Schuyler County was also looking to relocate some of their departments, and that the County had space available and was willing to own the building and lease a portion to the Village.

Village of Amityville (Winner)
County: Suffolk County
Population: 5,000 to 10,000
Village Hall: (631) 264-6000.

Faced with departments outgrowing office space along with the need for major upgrades to the current Village office building, Village of Amityville officials decided to consolidate all municipal departments into one newly constructed "green" building.