Saving Taxpayer Money, The Cuomo Way

New York, NY —

Attorney General Andrew Cuomo says he's hitting the road to convince local municipalities to consolidate services and save taxpayer money.

Streamlining the many townships and villages across the state is part of his latest effort to reform state government, but he knows lawmakers won't embrace the idea.

CUOMO: If I just go to the politicians in Albany on this, they will never do it. Why? Because this is their political bread and butter. These are the local jobs.

REPORTER: His reform campaign and the speech this morning to the Citizen's Budget Commission is helping fuel speculation that Cuomo is aiming for higher political office.

He declined to comment on whether he plans to challenge Governor Paterson in 2010.

Politics aside, CBC's Elizabeth Lyman says consolidation could save the state $1.5 billion or more.

She says the savings would be passed on to New York City.

LYMAN: So you know, the leaner New York can get, the less New York City will have to pay in to the overall budget of the state to support other governments.

REPORTER: She says much of the savings would be achieved by merging the smallest school districts, as well as special districts that handle municipal services.