By JESSICA MAHER

Recorder News Staff

It's been more than a year since officials from the city, Montgomery County and the Greater Amsterdam School District met to discuss the future of shared services, but Amsterdam Mayor Ann Thane wants to re-ignite the effort.

In a letter sent this week to Montgomery County Board of Supervisors Chairman Thomas Quackenbush, Thane asked for a meeting to discuss shared services initiatives that have been on the shelf since January 2010.

"Now that we've gone through this brutal budget, we can't start soon enough to start to be creative about what we're going to be doing in the coming year," said Thane.

Ideas the mayor said she had originally proposed included a blighted property strategic plan, a regional jobs initiative, GIS mapping of all infrastructure, inventories of equipment and personnel to share and avoid duplication, among other initiatives.

"There are things here that are so exciting and can lead to more funding for the region, not just for this particular city or county," said Thane.

Alderwomen Julie Pierce and Gina DeRossi of the 2nd and 3rd Wards, respectively, are co-chairs of the city's Shared Services Committee, though they have not called a meeting since February of last year.

"It seemed like it kind of fizzled out for awhile; it didn't seem like we were able to reach a consensus," said DeRossi. "It's a worthwhile endeavor, I think it's just been difficult to get everybody to focus when we have other high priority things right now."

Quackenbush, who was not chairman during last year's shared services meetings, did not return calls for comment on Wednesday.

Root town Supervisor John Thayer, who was present at the last joint shared services meeting in February 2010, said he had not seen the mayor's letter but said that shared services have been happening between the towns in Montgomery County for years.

"It works but it's a little difficult to track sometimes," he said. "Unfortunately it sounds like the city wants to track it and make sure they get their fair share, and I think that's going to be a detriment. If there's a service and the county can help with it or maybe one of the towns can help with it, then it's reciprocal. It's just one of the things that you don't write down."

While Thayer acknowledged that initiatives such as collaborating towards records management grants and studies would be a benefit to both the county and the city, he's unsure of the feasibility.

"The county isn't moving forward with anything that's going to cost money, we just don't have it and I'm sure the city's in the same boat," he said. "Any initiative from either side, I believe, that requires that there be some capital expended is not going to happen for probably the foreseeable future."

DeRossi said that financial resistance played a role in last year's discussions, as well.

"At least from my point of view I felt like there wasn't ... a strong interest on the county side to continue, it didn't seem anyway," said DeRossi. "It seems like with the financial situations we're in, it's been difficult to do anything, but the whole point of sharing services was to try to save money."

Contact JESSICA MAHER

at jessica.maher@recordernews.com