Under authority provided by New Jersey law, the separate governing bodies of Chester township and Chester borough have created a joint consolidation study commission to examine the feasibility and potential benefits of consolidating into a single municipality. CGR has been engaged as study consultant to advise the commission.

The Village and Town of Seneca Falls NY initially engaged CGR to assess ways to achieve a major goal: reduce the cost of government to help stimulate economic growth in the community. CGR found, in a 2008 study, that consolidating the governments would offer potential for major savings for village taxpayers. Subsequently CGR was engaged to serve as consultant to a village dissolution study committee. The committee’s final report, delivered to the village in late 2009, presented a dissolution plan, alternatives to dissolution, and financial and service impacts. In March 2010, voters in the village, which has a population of about 6,700, voted 1,142 to 1,037 in favor of dissolution. When dissolution takes effect at the end of 2011, Seneca Falls will be the largest village in the state to dissolve.

In March 2010, voters in the Village of Port Henry, located in NY’s Adirondack Park, voted 186-146 against dissolving the village. Had voters approved dissolution, responsibility for providing services would have been assumed by the Town of Moriah per a dissolution plan developed by a joint village/town committee. CGR was engaged as consultant for the dissolution study and plan.

The Village of Perrysburg NY has a population of about 380 residents, covers one square mile, and in recent years has lost most of its private businesses. In 2009, CGR was engaged to complete a study identifying options for the village, up to and including dissolving the village and consolidating operations in the Town of Perrysburg.  The village board subsequently voted to ask residents to decide whether to dissolve the village. In March 2010, voters approved dissolution by a vote of 60 to 9.

Four-fifths of the Village of Albion is in the Town of Albion, and one fifth is in the Town of Gaines. A CGR study found limited opportunity for the three municipalities to generate significant cost savings through shared service agreements. However, if the Village and Town of Albion consolidate, overall property tax savings would be at least 18%, and if all 3 consolidate, overall property tax savings would be at least 22%. Consolidation savings would come from cost reductions due to efficiencies and substantial new state consolidation incentive funds. In late 2008 a joint oversight committee recommended to elected leaders that they pursue dissolution of the village, thereby reducing the number of governments from three to two. The Village of Albion board voted not to pursue dissolution.

The Village and Town of Cobleskill NY asked CGR to identify service sharing/consolidation options for their communities. CGR found some options, such as sharing planning, court or code enforcement functions, could be achieved with little change to existing municipal structures. The 2008 report suggests that, in time, a single entity (achieved either by dissolving the Village or becoming a city) will provide the framework for creating a government that is more cost effective and efficient, and has access to more revenues to offset the local property tax burden on taxpayers. In January 2009, the Village board voted to pursue development of a dissolution plan.