Chautauqua County Executive PJ Wendel says the newly established Government Efficiency Fund should be focused on efficiency and can extend to things outside of dissolving municipal government boards.

In September, County Executive PJ Wendel announced that he wanted $500,000 from the county reserves to create a “Government Efficiency Fund” that would support local municipalities in mergers, consolidations, dissolution, shared services and other similar opportunities to reduce government.

“The goal is to reduce redundancies, streamline operation, and eliminate duplicate efforts, ultimately leading to significant cost savings,” he said at the time.

In October, the county legislature voted on a resolution, which was amending a resolution previously approved in 2017, specifically focusing on its name.

During the Administrative Services Committee meeting, Wendel said the 2017 resolution was named the “Government Reduction Initiative,” inspired by the state to reduce local government.

Wendel wanted it renamed the “Government Efficiency Fund,” saying the goal is to make government “more efficient,” instead of focusing solely on reduction, although reduction may still take place. He noted that by renaming it, the funds could potentially be used by special districts. Special districts oversee things like water, sewer and fire protection.

During the committee discussion, Legislator Bob Scudder, R-Fredonia, expressed his concern that this new fund could just create more studies and not enough action.

Wendel said while he understands Scudder’s concern, “that’s part of the bureaucracy of our state,” he replied.

Wendel also noted that any proposals to spend money from the Government Efficiency Fund would have to be authorized by the county legislature.

Wendel said he’s already had two municipalities approach him informally with three or four projects lined up.

During the full October legislature meeting, Legislator Fred Larson, D-Jamestown, highlighted the fact that there’s no money in the 2026 budget for the Government Efficiency Fund, that the money is coming out of the county’s undesignated reserve fund.

Legislator Terry Niebel, R-Sheridan added that the legislature has approved government reduction funding in the past. Hanover received $50,000 which led to the dissolution of Forestville and the town of Cherry Creek received $36,303 which led to the dissolution of the village of Cherry Creek.

The resolution, which changed the name from “Government Reduction Initiative” to “Government Efficiency Fund” was unanimously approved.

After the October legislature meeting, Wendel clarified the funding source.

“The $500,000 (for the Government Efficiency Fund) is from the same place that we get the $500,000 for our lake maintenance fund – it’s from our undesignated fund balance. It was never listed as a line item,” he said.

The county’s reserves have been estimated around $35 million, which is close to 11.5% of its entire budget.