GOSHEN – The Orange County departments of General Services and Information Technology will become one department. The county legislature gave the okay Thursday night.
County Executive Steven Neuhaus wanted to join the departments for greater efficiency and cost savings.
Only two lawmakers voted against the move, including Roseanne Sullivan.
“All of the money stated for savings in this report in regards to the consolidation of these two departments can be achieved without the consolidation and without taking the power away from the Orange County Legislature by changing the Orange County Charter,” Sullivan said.
The other “no” vote came from Myrna Kemnitz.
Legislator Kevin Hines had nothing but praise for General Services Commissioner James Burpoe, who will now head up the merged department.
“Mr. Burpoe is one of the best commissioners we have in Orange County,” Hines said. “He has saved us millions of dollars since we created the Department of General Services. This is a way to evolve what we created and make it a little bit better.”
Neuhaus hopes to save $500,000 by this merger and other consolidations in county government.
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