White Plains, NY - In a bipartisan vote, the Board of Legislators authorized an intermunicipal agreement (IMA) between the County and the Town of Cortlandt whereby the County will provide police services to the Town that will supplement the New York State Police, the agency responsible for patrolling and responding to emergencies in Cortlandt.
The vote took place at the regular meeting of the Board of Legislators on Monday evening and passed 16-0.
In 1999, the Town of Cortlandt disbanded its police force. Since then the Town has had an agreement with the State Police and the County to provide police services. The current IMA renews the existing agreement and extends it through January 31, 2020.

In exchange for the services, the Town reimburses the county annually for the actual costs of the shared service. Additionally the Town allows the County Police to use part of the former police facility at Cortlandt Town Hall.

The payments from Town to the County are expected to be approximately $865,000 for the 2015/2016 period with modest annual increases that top out at approximately $986,000 for the 2019/2020 period. If the actual costs of the services are different than the projections, additional payments or refunds will be applied accordingly.

Under the terms of the agreement, the County will provide two eight-hour patrols each day. The Town will reimburse the County the actual costs of the service which include salary, overtime, holiday pay, shift differential and fringe benefits.

Minority Leader Legislator John G. Testa (R) Cortlandt, Peekskill, Yorktown applauded the agreement as an example of shared services that ultimately save taxpayers money. Following the vote on Monday evening, Legislator Testa said, “I thank my colleagues for joining me to support this agreement. This is an arrangement that has proven to be very effective in providing for the safety and security needs of the Town of Cortlandt while providing significant savings to taxpayers.” Legislator Testa added, “With costs of government services rising every year, mostly due to unfunded mandates from Albany, it is important that the county and our municipalities find ways to share services and costs to make Westchester is a more affordable place to raise a family.”

Majority Leader Legislator Catherine Borgia (D) Ossining, Cortlandt, Peekskill said, “The extension of this agreement is a clear win for the people of Cortlandt. Town Supervisor Linda Puglisi proves once again that smart governance and collaboration can provide outstanding service to taxpayers in a cost effective way.”