Shared services are indeed a critical resource for small communities like the Village of Palmyra. By pooling resources, neighboring municipalities can reduce costs, streamline operations, and improve efficiency for taxpayers. New York State actively encourages this collaboration through incentives, such as grants for shared service projects, which can help fund initiatives like shared equipment, joint public works, or consolidated administrative functions.

We will continue to actively participate with the Town, School District, and Wayne County Water and Sewer for shared services. By sharing the fuel depot with both the Town and the School, we can purchase fuel at a more competitive price. We also share highway barns, equipment, and manpower when needed, allowing us to work together to reduce costs. Additionally, we will maintain our efforts with the state to secure our share of CHIP’s funding for vital street projects. To maximize our budget, we will continue using our own crew for projects, which helps us avoid the higher prevailing wages charged by outside contractors whenever possible. Our collaboration with the Town also includes contracting for one shared Highway Superintendent, ensuring efficient management for both the Town and Village. Our overarching plan is to strengthen this relationship, benefiting both communities and ensuring that we provide the best services possible while keeping costs down.

After several years of discussions, the Village and the School District have successfully entered into a partnership regarding the School Resource Officer (SRO) position. The SRO is a member of the Palmyra Village Police Department who works directly in the schools, enhancing safety for students and staff. Importantly, this position is funded by the School District, not by Village tax dollars. Both the Village and the School District are dedicated to securing additional funding to expand this program, further ensuring the safety, protection, and well-being of every student and employee within the district. Additionally, we collaborate with the School District during the winter months to promote safe routes to school. This program ensures that designated sidewalks are kept clean and passable, so students can safely walk without having to navigate the road. Our goal is to continually improve efficiency and responsiveness in all our initiatives.  


Our partnership with Wayne County Water and Sewer also includes collaboration with four other municipalities for the waste water treatment plant. Faced with an outdated and failing sewer plant, we recognized the need for a comprehensive solution. New York State offers grants for towns and villages that work together, prompting the Village to join this initiative. As a standalone municipality, the financial burden of addressing this issue would have fallen heavily on our residents. By collaborating with neighboring communities, we are minimizing that burden and maximizing potential savings. Additionally, we were able to sell underutilized land to WCWSA, further supporting our financial strategy. The more end users that connect to the sewer lines, the broader the tax base becomes, spreading the costs across a larger population. With only a few building lots remaining in the Village, it was logical to join this project, allowing neighboring towns to help offset the overall costs. Through this partnership, we are working toward a sustainable solution that benefits our entire community.