Zebrowski: Merging State Agencies Will Save $9M

Assemblyman Ken Zebrowski, D-New City, said Tuesday that the 2010-11 state budget will include a measure to merge and consolidate state agencies to save more than $9 million.

Zebrowski said the measure is a step toward eliminating administrative overhead and reducing agency spending to help close the state budget deficit.

"The consolidation of agencies is an effective way to do more with less and cut the bottom line costs of government," said Zebrowski.

The legislation's consolidation includes:

• Merging three public safety agencies into the newly created Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, saving $1.5 million annually.
• Consolidating the State Employment Relations Board (SERB) and the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB). SERB will be abolished and PERB will absorb some of its responsibilities, saving $1.3 million.
• Merging the Office of Real Property Services into the Department of Taxation and Finance, saving taxpayers more than $2 million by consolidating facilities and services.
• Merging the Division of Probation and Correctional Alternatives into the Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS),saving $100,000 while maintaining the important mission of this agency.
• Creating a single leadership for NYHOMES and the Division of Housing and Community Renewal. The two organizations will operate under a single management structure in areas such as administration, asset management and grant making, saving taxpayers $3.5 million.

"The budget deficit is going to be closed by a host of cuts and state agencies must be part of that shared sacrifice," said Zebrowski.