Suffolk and Nassau Counties Work Together to Cut Costs

The presiding officers of the Suffolk and Nassau County Legislatures in New York are meeting to find ways to cut costs and improve services.

"I look forward to exploring all opportunities to save money without raising taxes," said Nassau County Legislature presiding officer Norma Gonsalves.

Gonsalves and her Suffolk County counterpart, DuWayne Gregory, quickly set up a bi-county efficiency task force to examine a wide range of potential savings and service improvements. The task force will set up joint meetings of the counties' departments of public services, health, police, purchasing and probation to explore ways to cut costs and improve services.

Gonsalves and Gregory agreed to explore join purchasing agreements for things like road salt and chemicals at the sewage treatment plant.

"Our discussion was very encouraging but we still have a lot of work to do," Gregory said.

Nassau County is rated A2 by Moody's Investors Service, A-plus by Standard & Poor's, and A by Fitch Ratings. Suffolk County is rated A3 by Moody's Investors Service, A-plus by Standard & Poor's, and A by Fitch Ratings.

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