If there are more school districts in one New York county than there are in the entire state of Virginia, it may answer the question as to why other states with fewer layers of regulation are looking more attractive to New York”™s dwindling population.
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New York may inherently suffer from consolidation trepidation, but SUNY New Paltz, Pace University and New York State Department of Transportation will be out in force at an all-day Pattern for Progress (www.pattern-for-progress.org) symposium Oct. 5 at SUNY New Paltz in Ulster County. The mission: Get municipal leaders ”“ from fire companies to town supervisors ”“ to work together to become more taxpayer friendly, lest the Sun Belt continue to siphon New Yorkers.
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While the Hudson Valley is not one of the areas suffering from flight of the populous, Westchester County, a Pattern partner and destination for  more than 70 percent of the surrounding counties”™ working population, is one of the most highly taxed counties in the nation. You may make more money by commuting to the Westchester and points south, but comparing per-capita income by county versus the tax rates, mid-Hudsonites are slowly catching up to Westchester residents when it comes to property taxes. And on intermunicipal red tape.
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According to Pattern, there is hope if people will become more amenable to sharing services. More than 500 applications for the New York state Shared Municipal Services Incentive (SMSI) grants were received and nearly $14 million is available to those who are willing to participate.
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Staff from the state Department of State will provide information on how communities can access available grant funds and describe new forms of technical assistance that have been developed. The Department of State will work directly with participants to shape proposals and write applications for SMSI funding.
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Gov. Eliot Spitzer”™s Commission on Local Government Efficiency and Competitiveness, along with the state comptroller”™s office, will be on hand to discuss additional programs.
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Lorraine Cortes-Vazquez, new secretary of state, will give opening remarks at the luncheon break and introduce keynote speaker Richard Briffault of Pace University.
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The conference begins with registration at 8 a.m. and is split into several sessions that end at 3:15 p.m. The cost is $25 for Pattern for Progress members and $35 for nonmembers. To obtain a registration form, contact Pattern at 565-4918
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