Irvington Mayor Brian Smith is pleased to announce that the Village Officials Committee (VOC) of the Town of Greenburgh and Village of Sleepy Hollow is the recipient of a Public Management Award from the New York Conference of Mayors (NYCOM).
Irvington Mayor Brian Smith is pleased to announce that the Village Officials Committee (VOC) of the Town of Greenburgh and Village of Sleepy Hollow is the recipient of a Second Place award in the category of Public Management and Administration from the New York Conference of Mayors (NYCOM). The award specifically acknowledges the VOC’s efforts to undertake joint projects and sharing of services to save money.
The VOC was formed in 2003 to allow for the free exchange of ideas of common interest among the elected officials of the incorporated villages in the Town of Greenburgh. In 2007, the villages’ managers and administrators were brought in, as the organization focused on identifying and implementing specific cost-saving initiatives. In the last year, the Village of Sleepy Hollow joined as well. Since the VOC’s inception, sharing of services has resulted in savings of over $500,000 for the villages’ taxpayers. These successful efforts have included joint road resurfacing, vehicle and equipment sharing, and joint maintenance contracts.
The Village Mayors comprising the VOC are currently: Jay Leon (Ardsley), Hartley Connett (Dobbs Ferry), Robert Williams (Elmsford), Peter Swiderski (Hastings-on-Hudson), Brian Smith (Irvington), Ken Wray (Sleepy Hollow), and Drew Fixell (Tarrytown).
The award was accepted on behalf of the VOC by Tarrytown Mayor Drew Fixell at an awards ceremony held on May 24, 2011 in Saratoga, New York. In accepting the award, Mayor Fixell said, “I am pleased to accept this award on behalf of my fellow Mayors and colleagues. We came together for one purpose…to save the taxpayers money while continuing to provide the services our residents deserve. I am pleased that NYCOM has recognized the tremendous success we have had in fulfilling that mission." Irvington Mayor Brian Smith added, "Like my predecessor, Mayor Jon Siegel, I am very supportive of the goals of the VOC, particularly the largest objective, namely sharing services in order to more efficiently and effectively serve the people of Irvington. That makes being recognized for this award especially satisfying.”