City of Syracuse (Winner)
County: Onondaga County
Population: More than 50,000
City Hall: (315) 448-8005

In the Spring of 2018, the City of Syracuse launched a performance management program which tracked metrics associated with specific organizational goals. The Performance Dashboard uses an Objectives and Key Results framework to ensure that city-wide service delivery goals can be easily tracked and measured. Rather than manually pulling the data from the system, it is compiled and visualized by the Performance Dashboard which makes it easy for city employees as well as the general public to see if the metrics are trending in the right direction. This has resulted in improved service delivery throughout the City’s operations.

Village of Lake George (Winner)
County: Warren County
Population: Less than 5,000
Village Hall: (518) 668-5771

The Village of Lake George successfully managed to confront one of its most popular complaints: those of international summer workers. The Village of Lake George; alongside the Town of Lake, Bolton, and Queensbury, organized a joint-program called “Student Connection” aimed at servicing the needs surrounding international students. Following years of complaints of both students and employers, concerning wages, working, and living condition, Student Connection now serves as a centralized office where students coming on the J-1 Visa program can now go look for jobs, housing, or to make complaints. The program is funded through the municipalities, totaling $20,000, with each municipality proportionality paying into the fund based off the percentage of students they employ. The program is seeking to expand in its second year after a successful first year, seeing an overall 70% decrease in complaints!

Village of Rhinebeck
County: Dutchess County
Population: Less than 5,000
Village Hall: (845) 876-7015

The Village of Rhinebeck was eager, determined, and relentless in its mission to improve resident’s lives. The Village had systematically targeted municipal and civic improvements over the course of the last two years, and had efficiently underwent several Capital projects. The Village updated and digitized its Village codes to make them more accessible to the people, converted all lighting in municipal buildings and parks to LED, dedicated a flagpole, planted trees, installed new electrical charging-stations, placed new sidewalks and much more. The total cost of all improvements were almost $500,000, which the Village mostly funded from outside sources. Initially the Village didn’t imagine such a structured approach to its improvements, rather, it merely intended to offer improvements to its residents by imagining what they needed and what they wanted. However, now the Village operates with numerous committees and liaisons to maintain, and continue, the upward growth of the Village!

Village of Sea Cliff
County: Nassau County
Population: Less than 5,000
Village Hall: (516) 671-0080

The Village of Sea Cliff located on the Northern Shore of Long Island overlooks the Hempstead Harbor and Long Island Sound. Dedicated to preserving its treasured waterfront, the Village in 1979 established the Sea Cliff Environmental Conservation Commission (ECC). The ECC, an all-volunteer committee, was tasked with improving the quality of the natural and man-made environment in Sea Cliff, in addition to preserving their natural landscape. The Commission has committed itself to volunteer in clean-up, educating, and redefining the environmental policy in Sea Cliff. In 2018 the ECC drafted and passed a local law to restrict the use of plastic bags in the municipality, becoming the second municipality in the State to do so. The ECC has made itself a presence not only in Sea Cliff, but has branched out to advocate for County and State initiatives. The ECC continues to fight to keep Long Island clean, and improve the lives of all residents.

City of Binghamton
County: Broome County
Population: 50,000 +
City Hall: (607) 772-7001

The City of Binghamton completed a $4 million project to convert approximately 7,000 of its municipal street lights to LED technology. The city negotiated the purchase of street lights within its borders to eliminate $100,000 in annual lease payments to New York State Electric and Gas (NYSEG). That agreement allowed the city to expedite its LED conversion project, already owning the lights that would be upgraded.

City of Massena
County: St. Lawrence County
Population: 10,001 to 50,000
City Hall: (315) 769-8625

Borj El Amri is a town in northern Tunisia; an African county wedged between Algeria and Libya, and only about 200 miles across the Mediterranean from Sicily. In late March the Mayor of Borj El Amri, Imen Amri, visited Mayor Timmy Currier, of the Village of Massena, for a “Partnership Meeting”. The meeting between the North County Village and Saharan Town was to demonstrate how local, municipal government operates in their respective municipalities, and to demonstrate Massena’s infrastructure, public safety, health, and economic departments. Mayor Amri toured all municipal facilities, a few County offices, and even SUNY Potsdam – which is set to become a centerpiece for a student exchange program. The municipalities established an official Sister-Municipality Agreement, which they both signed, pledging to work together in the future on matter of mutual interest. Mayor Currier described the relationship as integral to better understanding one’s own self, with the discussed possibility of Mayor Currier visiting Tunisia in the future to further strengthen the relationship!

City of Canandaigua (Winner)
County: Ontario County
Population: 10,001 to 50,000
City Hall: (585) 396-5000

The Canandaigua Solar Project involved the conversion of an old landfill and transfer station into a renewable energy facility, which will reduce the city’s costs without impacting the services it provides to the community. At the same time the city fulfills a strategic plan goal of taking a leadership role by utilizing an alternative energy source and reducing the city's impact on the environment.

Village of Minoa
County: Onondaga County
Population: Less than 5,000
Village Hall: (315) 789-2603315) 656-3100

Launched in April 2016, CNY Bright Lights, an initiative of the CNY Regional Planning and Development Board, was created to assist municipalities in converting streetlights to LED technology. Through this initiative, the CNY Regional Planning and Development Board will provide technical assistance to municipalities in Cayuga, Cortland, Madison, Onondaga and Oswego counties in working with utility companies to purchase streetlights to convert to LED and/or to convert utility-owned lighting assets to LED. The agency will provide cost benefit analyses of the two options and help municipalities identify and apply for funding for LED streetlight conversion projects.

City of Yonkers
County: Westchester County
Population: 50,000 +
City Hall: (914) 377-6300

The Hudson River Waterfront Alliance (HRWA) is a coalition of Hudson Valley municipalities, formed by Mayor Mike Spano and the City of Yonkers, that have joined efforts in opposition to a proposed expansion of barge anchorages on the Hudson River from Yonkers to Kingston. The proposal, currently under consideration by the U.S Coast Guard (USCG), threatens to reindustrialize the river, compromising decades of investment in restoring the health of the river and riverfront communities.

City of Yonkers (Winner)
County: Westchester County
Population: 50,000+
City Hall: (914) 377-6300

The City of Yonkers (COY) - Yonkers Board of Education (BOE) Consolidation Program (Yonkers Consolidation), is a first-of-its-kind, large-scale merger of the administrative operations of two distinct municipal entities, resulting in greater operational efficiencies and economies of scale to both the organizations and the stakeholders in which they serve. In a period of less than one year, the City of Yonkers successfully guided the merger of five non-academic, administrative departments of the Yonkers Board of Education into the City of Yonkers government. The merger consisted of the transfer of 52 BOE employees to the City government, including the completion of desk audits, title adjustments, changes to labor affiliation and co-location of newly consolidated departments; and permanently assumed $9 million worth of administration functions into the City government.

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.

City of Binghamton (Winner)
County: Broome County
Population: 10,001 to 50,000
City Hall: (607) 343-3670

In 2006, the City if Binghamton, plagued by more than 300 vacant properties, took advantage of New York State's Restore NY Program, to regain control over abandoned properties. The City established a Restore NY Project Team that developed, submitted, and implemented two grants that uniquely focus on residential properties as part of a larger "Healthy Neighborhoods" approach.

City of Binghamton (Winner)
County: Broome County
Population: 10,001 to 50,000
City Hall: (607) 343-3670

Like many other Upstate municipalities, the City of Binghamton faced increasingly troublesome neighborhood blight. More than 200 vacant properties plagued the City, undermining market values, draining local resources, stunting economic development, and compromising neighborhood safety. A creative intervention, called The Blight Prevention Initiative, was announced during the Mayor's 2007 State of City Address.

Village of Adams (Winner)
County: Jefferson County
Population: Less than 5,000
Village Hall: (315) 232-2351

The Village and Town of Adams Shared Municipal Building was the outgrowth of a Joint Comprehensive Plan adopted by both entities in 2004 as part of a strategy to revitalize downtown and improve community facilities. In addition to addressing the need for space by both Village and Town of Adams officials, this single story 6,750 square foot municipal facility has generated savings for both municipalities through streamlined building operations, as well as shared overhead and maintenance. This new building has also encouraged more day to day communication between local officials. In addition, Village and Town residents can now easily access local officials, services and documents, while giving them another reason to visit downtown and patronize local businesses.

City of Rochester (Winner)
County: Monroe County
Population: 50,000 +
City Hall: (585) 428-7045

The City of Rochester was looking to clean-up its city without the expense and investment in labor that often comes with these efforts. The Mayor's solution to this problem was the Clean Sweep program Clean Sweep is truly an example of a collaborative effort that brought together the resources of the City, volunteers, businesses, faith communities, neighborhood organizations and non-profits.

Village of Lacona
County: Oswego County
Population: Less than 5,000
Village Hall: (315) 387-5564

Until 2006, all daily operations for both the Villages of Lacona and Sandy Creek were performed in a small room in the Sandy Creek Fire Hall. Lacona had no physical office and shared many staff with Sandy Creek. After 22 years, this space could not effectively serve the public nor provide a safe, secure environment for staff or records.

City of Syracuse (Winner)
County: Onondaga County
Population: 50,000 +
City Hall: (315) 448-8005

In an effort to limit project expenses and completion times the City of Syracuse initiated "ProjectStat," an innovative project management and tracking program designed to keep municipal construction projects running smoothly on schedule and on budget. The original goals for ProjectStat were to reduce arbitrage penalties, utilize city funds more effectively, and to complete construction projects more timely and efficiently. ProjectStat tracks funding streams, project-specif¡ic benchmarks, and bi-weekly activity to increase accountability, operational efficiencies and make the process operate more smoothly and adhere more cohesively to timely schedules.

Village of Lancaster (Winner)
County: Erie County
Population: 10,001 to 50,000
Village Hall: (716) 683-2105

The Village of Lancaster upgraded its municipal water system and turned it over to the Erie County Water Authority (ECWA), resulting in improved water service to the public at a lower cost. The village replaced old, damaged four-inch water lines with new six and eight inch lines, thereby improving water service to residents. The increased pipe size was also required to meet water system requirements for administration by the ECWA. The ECWA then replaced the Village Water Department by incorporating the village's water system into the larger County water system, providing water ser¡vice at a lower rate than the village's water service.

City of Canandaigua (Winner)
County: Ontario County
Population: 10,001 to 50,000
City Hall: (585) 396-5017

Recognizing that city employees are most familiar with the delivery of services and, as such, are in the best position to find ways to reduce costs, the City of Canandaigua instituted the Employee Incentive Awards Program.