Dutchess County has created the Municipal Consolidation and Shared Services Grant Program to support municipal projects that consolidate services, produce shared services, evaluate municipal consolidation opportunities, establish the regional delivery of services, and/or offer other efficiency improvements. In 2013 the County set aside $2 million in sales tax revenue to support local initiatives to increase cooperation and reduce redundancy at the municipal level.

The agencies involved will be determined by applications which are due at the end of June. Each request must have a municipal lead applicant which will coordinate the activities. Activities that include other local government entities (e.g. special districts, school districts, public authorities) will be considered, but the lead applicant must be a city, town or village.

This program is voluntary with the intent to spur innovation and identify best practices developed by and for local government agencies. The overall goal is to support local government efforts to reduce the property tax levy within all jurisdictions.