Municipalities Conference: Savings in Tough Times - Strategies for Local Officials

May 5, 2011

Who Should Attend
Municipal officials and municipal attorneys who are responsible for strategic, financial, human resource and organizational matters.

Agenda

8 - 8:30 a.m.
Registration and Continental Breakfast

8:30 - 8:45 a.m.
Introduction and Overview
- Budget crises in Albany and Washington impact municipalities with less aid
- Outlook for cost drivers
- How do you fund your budget if the proposed tax cap passes
- Proposals for statewide legislated wage freeze on local employees
- Extreme measures - bankruptcy
- General strategies for cutting costs and enhancing revenues

8:45 - 9:15 a.m.
Employee and Retiree Costs
- Subcontracting Union Work
- Utilization of Independent Contractors
- Reductions in Force: Layoffs, Retirement/Resignation Incentives
- Retiree Health Insurance: elimination or contribution toward premiums
- Current Employee Health Insurance: cost reduction measures
- Modifications of Collective Bargaining Agreements and "Past Practices"

9:15 - 9:45 a.m.
Municipal Debt -- Is It Time to Refinance and Take Advantage of Favorable Credit Markets?
- Overview of refinancing process
- Analysis of current interest rate environment
- How to refinance "non-callable" bonds

9:45 - 10:15 a.m.
2010 Government Reorganization Law: A Review One Year After
- Brief overview of 2010 reorganization law
- Why no villages are dissolving under the new law
- Village of Seneca Falls dissolution under prior law: the devil is in the details

10:15 - 10:30 a.m.
Break

10:30 - 11 a.m.
Intermunicipal Cooperation and Privatization of Services
- Examination of how intermunicipal agreements can be used to combine services and achieve cost savings
- Contracting out and privatization: doing it right to maintain adequate policy control while saving money and avoiding successful union grievances and litigation

11 - 11:30 a.m.
Q&A