Since state Sen. George Borrello left the position of county executive, there has been less of a push for sharing or consolidating services. Borrello, more so than current Executive PJ Wendel, has been outspoken for years about downsizing government — and played an active role in both the north and south county to help make that happen.

Now, Wendel has a chance to be an advocate and leader on this topic. Last week, state Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Chautauqua County is the recipient of $32,500 to explore code enforcement consolidation.

This, without question, is a no-brainer. “This new round of funding, rooted in a bottom up approach that partners with local leaders and utilizes unique regional strengths, will be another important tool as we work to transform communities across New York state into places where people will want to live, work and visit for generations to come,” Hochul said in a news release.

While the proposal to explore specific actions necessary to implement consolidation, shared services and efficiencies associated with zoning and building code administration and enforcement across 42 municipalities has been discussed in recent years, there is definitely some common ground that can be found on the topic. The Local Economic Development group, which is tied to the Northern Chautauqua Community Foundation, also has advocated for the changes.

“It’s getting harder and harder to find enough well-trained code enforcement officers to replace the ones who are retiring or moving on to other things,” wrote Patty Hammond in January in an opinion piece. “It may well be time to consider standardizing the code ordinances and job requirements across our area.”

This is the perfect opportunity.