FOUR COUNTY EXECUTIVES TO ATTEND SUFFOLK COUNTY SHARED SERVICES CONFERENCE
Albany, Westchester, Nassau and Suffolk County Executives will serve on Local Government Procurement Panel
Conference to Feature Experts from Academia, Think Tanks, Private Sector, State and Local Officials
Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone today announced that four County Executives will serve on a local government panel as part of the SuffolkShare: Inter-Municipal Procurement Conference. The panel will be moderated by Suffolk County Executive Bellone and include Albany County Executive Daniel P. McCoy, Westchester County Executive George Latimer, and Nassau County Executive Laura Curran.
“This first of its kind conference on Long Island is an opportunity for policy makers and experts to share their insight into how local governments can become more efficient,” said Suffolk County Executive Bellone. “I thank my colleagues in County government for their willingness to participate so that we can share experiences and replicate best practices.”
The conference, which will feature a keynote address by New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, will be held on July 24, 8:00 AM – 2:00 PM at Timber Point Golf Course in Great River.
Panels will be focused on procurement challenges and roadblocks, procurement innovation and trends, and cooperative purchasing, featuring highly qualified panelists from independent government agencies, think tanks, academia, state and local government, and the private sector. The goal of the conference is to encourage a conversation about best practices for municipal purchasing, foster a more cooperative municipal purchasing environment, and address people, processes, and technology associated with procurement of goods and services.
Albany County Executive Daniel P. McCoy said: “As elected officials, we must always search for new ways to make government accountable to the will of the people and that includes driving down costs to taxpayers while still providing excellent services to those most in need. Counties throughout the state are on the front lines of the efforts to implement shared services and find new efficiencies with millions of tax dollars on the line and I thank Suffolk County Executive Bellone for putting together this historic conference that will lead to further progress down the road.”
Westchester County Executive George Latimer said: "With Westchester County in the process of amending our shared services plan we are looking forward to joining County Executive Steve Bellone for the SHARE conference to learn from those who have successfully gone through this process before. We hope to be able to replicate the success, and tax payer savings that Suffolk County has had in Westchester County.”
Nassau County Executive Laura Curran said: “It is more critical than ever that government finds new ways to work together and save tax payer dollars. We cannot continue doing government business the way it has always been done. The people expect solutions from their elected officials. I am looking forward to being a part of this important conference.”
The conference will have four morning breakout panels, with topics ranging from navigating procurement roadblocks, technology challenges and opportunities, the future of municipal procurement, and examining innovations and opportunities. Procurement officials from Suffolk County’s 10 towns, 33 villages, and 69 school districts will be in attendance including thought leaders from the following agencies and organizations:
- Government Finance Officers Association
- Rockefeller Institute of Government
- New York State Association of Counties
- Hofstra University, National Center for Suburban Studies
- New York State Office of General Services
- New York State Authorities Budget Office
The process of reforming Suffolk County’s procurement system includes responsibly reorganizing the procurement team, streamlining regulations, simplifying the payment process and upgrading outdated technologies. The reformed system will focus on smart government and best practices in the public sector, with the ultimate goal of the new procurement model being to save taxpayer dollars.
The conference supports Suffolk County Executive Bellone’s Shared Services Initiative. The SuffolkSHARE plan, devised under Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s Shared Services Initiative, is projected to save Suffolk County and participating local governments approximately $37 million over the next two years. Under County Executive Bellone’s leadership, Suffolk County has become a statewide leader in the field of shared services, gaining recognition for its innovation and cost-saving efforts in transitioning inter-municipal partnerships into a modern and comprehensive government reform mechanism.
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