Message from the Freeholder Director
Welcome to the Gloucester County Shared Services webpage. Gloucester County looks for ways to share services whenever possible in order to provide first rate service and ease the growing constraints of local budgets. In Gloucester County every single program that can be shared with another government or regionalized is studied. Gloucester County seeks to promote cooperation between local governing units through the sharing of mutually agreeable services that would be beneficial to all.
The County of Gloucester has steadily built a successful track record in shared services over the years. In recent times, our Emergency Response Services have been recognized on both a state and national level. In addition, our Special Services School District is #1 in the state for lowest administrative costs. Furthermore, Gloucester County has experienced significant grant support due in part to our diligent efforts to provide good service while achieving efficiencies.
Gloucester County is one of New Jersey’s 21 counties and within its boundaries it has 24 municipalities, 26 school districts and several fire districts. When there are redundancies across governing bodies, services cost more money than they should. If sharing amongst governments can deliver services more efficiently and cost effectively while maintaining or improving quality, the county works to move us forward seeking creative ways to deliver services and maximize every dollar that is spent. In May 2007, the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (NJDCA) awarded a three-year grant to the County of Gloucester to help meet this goal.
Hopefully you find the information on this webpage helpful. If you have any questions or suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Mission Statement:
The mission of the Gloucester County Shared Services program is to proactively promote increased efficiency in the delivery of services while reducing the costs of local government through regionalization and consolidation efforts.
Current Projects:
Juvenile Detention
In the summer of 2009, Gloucester County regionalized juvenile detention services with neighboring and near-by counties to provide detention services to juveniles. Partnering counties in this effort include Camden County, Cumberland, Burlington, and Middlesex. This on-going project seeks to promote public safety while identifying the best care and conditions for the youth that enter juvenile court system. This regionalization effort creates cost savings through the sharing of facilities and juvenile detention staff. Gloucester County saves over $1 million dollars annually through this regional effort.
Tax Assessments
Gloucester County is working on implementing a county-wide Tax Assessors office, seeking to eliminate the need for costly revaluations to be done town by town and to create a fair assessment system where every town would be at 100% of true assessed value 100% of the time.
In September 2009, the Gloucester County Board of Chosen Freeholders voted to formally create an advisory panel to begin implementation of the Countywide Tax Assessors pilot program. The advisory board has been formed to assist in planning, implementing, and monitoring the transition from municipal assessment of real property to county-based tax assessment. Initiated by a bill signed into law in August, this pilot program allows for a countywide tax assessor. Savings will be realized through the sharing of staff and by equalizing the system. The program is estimated to save county taxpayers an estimated $1.5 million annually.
Shared Services:
Emergency Response
In September 2007, Gloucester County was the first in New Jersey to launch a regionalized county-based EMS program. In its first year, Gloucester County EMS saved the original ten participating municipalities $2.6 million in avoided costs, and from its inception, Gloucester County EMS markedly improved services through quicker response times, a crucial factor in this life saving responsibility. As of spring 2009, 14 of the 24 municipalities have joined the county service. The implementation of this program received support from a NJ Department of Community Affairs grant in the amount of $40,000.
Gloucester County's regionalized EMS program was awarded the 2009 Achievement Award winner for Regionalized Medical Services by the National Association of Counties (NACo). GCEMS was one of only three New Jersey programs to win the national achievement.
Also in the realm of public safety, the Gloucester County Office of Emergency Response went on the air December 29, 1980 as New Jersey's second centralized county communications center. Gloucester County has been providing dispatching services for fire departments and EMS since the 1980’s. Gloucester County’s Police Communications Center began operations on January 5, 2000 dispatching for 8 municipalities and the county Sheriff’s Department. Today Gloucester County provides police dispatching for all 24 municipalities along with the Prosecutor’s Office, SWAT & ERT Teams.
Education and Disability Services
Since 2001 Gloucester County Special Services School District (GCSSSD) and Gloucester County Institute of Technology (GCIT) have been sharing an administration, equipment, facilities and other staff, saving taxpayers $1.3 million annually.
In 2008, the Freeholders also merged the Boards of Education for the two districts. The consolidated Board is helping move forward a model campus for sharing of assets and resources, affording the same governance for shared employees. The Gloucester County Special Services School District is comprised of Bankbridge Regional Campus providing K-12 education to special needs children and Bankbridge Development Center (Autism School) and GCIT is a full-time (as of 2005) school offering career-technical, academy and other educational opportunities to Gloucester County youth.
As published by the New Jersey Department of Education in their Comparative Spending Guide, for the last five consecutive years the GCSSSD has been ranked first in New Jersey for the lowest total administrative cost per pupil. Additionally, GCIT is now at its lowest administrative cost per pupil and is now ranked second.
Another shared services program related to education was implemented in 2008: Educational and Disability Services were merged in order to provide a more seamless approach to regional planning, shared services and campus planning for our educational institutions and disability services now and into the future. The merger encompasses all educational services within the county as well as the county’s offices of Disability Services, Therapeutic Recreation Program, and Early Intervention. Realigning these services is the next step in creating seamless coordination between many entities who service many similar, and sometimes the same populations. This is especially important in creating a continuity of services for disabled residents and families from birth to adult.
Wellness Discount Program
The Gloucester County Wellness Discount Program is a result of a shared services agreement that Gloucester County has entered into with the County of Bergen, who offers the program to its residents. Our Wellness Discount Program is available to all residents of Gloucester County and it offers discounts on prescription drugs, hearing exams and hearing aids, vision exams, eyeglasses and contact lenses, diabetic supplies and more. The discount can be used by residents without a prescription drug benefit program or as a supplement for an insurance plan. This is not an insurance program. Most major pharmacy chains and many independent pharmacies accept the card which can be obtained by calling, toll free, 1-877-321-6755.
Stormwater Management
In 2004, when NJDEP issued requirements for stormwater management to all municipalities, Gloucester County created a regionalized program where the county and its 24 municipalities worked together to eliminate the duplicative efforts of separate stormwater plans, equipment, materials and buildings. Efforts in this arena include the construction of the five regional salt storage sheds, street sweepers for all of the municipalities to use, a website for public education, and other equipment and facilities.
A recent addition to this shared service is the installation of a Wheel Washing System at the Gloucester County Solid Waste Complex in South Harrison Township. The drive-thru washing system is suitable for the nearly 40,000 commercial vehicles and trailers that utilize the County landfill on an annual basis.
Gloucester County’s stormwater management efforts have been made possible in part by a grant award of $1.1 million from the NJ Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Water Quality.
Animal Shelter and Animal Control Services
The Gloucester County Animal Shelter (GCAS) became operational in July 1990 with the completion of the Animal Shelter building in Clayton. This department provides animal shelter services as well as animal control duties for the 24 municipalities of the County.
Library Services
The Gloucester County Library System (GCLS) was approved by referendum in 1976. Soon thereafter, the Gloucester County Board of Chosen Freeholders appointed the first library commission. The Commission quickly established book collections in libraries in member communities, municipal buildings, banks, and other sites frequented by the public. The main branch, located in Mullica Hill, was opened in 1994 and is a 28,000 square foot facility. This library houses 83,350 items, and its three public meeting rooms serve numerous community organizations.
Over the years, several municipalities have opted to join the Gloucester County Library System. As of 2009, 14 of Gloucester County's 24 municipalities are part of the county system. Over 84,000 residents may take advantage of library services offered through libraries in East Greenwich, Glassboro, Greenwich (Gibbstown), Logan, Harrison Township, Newfield, and Swedesboro. Services include circulating and reference collections, homebound service, children’s programs, and public internet access. The library's Internet web site offers the public access to library service 24 hours a day. These are just some of the many services available to all members.
Deer Carcass Removal
In the fall of 2006, the State of New Jersey stopped providing deer carcass removal to county and local roads. Since that time, Gloucester County has provided this service for its own roads as well as those belonging to all 24 municipalities of the County.
Records Management
Through the support of New Jersey’s Public Archives and Records Infrastructure Support (PARIS) Grant Program, Gloucester County has created a strategic plan for records management. The vision for this plan is to enhance and expand a dynamic records management program through defined policy, infrastructure upgrade, education, and joint municipal ventures, while remaining adaptable to future innovations and industry changes. The central purpose of records management is to ensure the integrity and accessibility of all public records via the comprehensive organization and management of both paper and electronic documents.
Paramount to the records management strategic plan is the promotion and establishment of conjoint municipal ventures. To date, the county has implemented two municipal shared services endeavors. The first endeavor focused on Law Enforcement, enabling document integration into the Prosecutor’s certified EDMS (electronic document management system) via Infoshare software. Ultimately, this imaging system will allow all of Gloucester County’s municipal police departments to create and upload data such as police reports and other associated documentary evidence directly into prosecutor files. Allowing municipal police departments to send reports directly into the Prosecutor’s EDMS not only saves time, but also eliminates costs associated with mailing, faxing, copying, and filing. The second endeavor consisted of organizing and directing a countywide municipal needs assessment. This shared service project allowed the county to provide each of its 24 municipalities with a needs assessment, a strategic plan for records, a general record inventory, and a records handling policy and procedures guide.
Regarding the upcoming grant cycle, the County of Gloucester intends to continue its commitment to sharing services with its municipalities. The county intends to expand its Law Enforcement initiative by adding a new module, the Juvenile Case Management System which will allow all 22 municipal police departments to send juvenile reports and other documentation regarding minors electronically via the Prosecutor’s Infoshare software. Also on the agenda is expanding the County’s original municipal needs assessment by applying for Phase II, Records Purging, Reorganizing, and Inventory Expansion. This phase will provide a detailed inventory of all records, the organization of records by series, the re-boxing and accurate labeling of boxes, and the destruction of records per the state’s retention schedule.
Arson and Explosion Investigation
The Gloucester County Arson and Explosion Investigation Unit is primarily responsible for assisting in the investigation of all arson fires, suspicious fires, explosions and the manufacturing of explosives in conjunction with the Gloucester County Fire Marshal's Office. The purpose of the Arson and Explosion Unit is to work with the 24 local municipalities, county, state and federal law enforcement and fire agencies in order to successfully investigate and prosecute cases.
Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT)
Run out of the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office, SWAT (Special Weapons And Tactics) is an elite special operations tactical unit that provides services to all 24 municipalities and the County. Members of the SWAT team are trained and equipped to perform high-risk operations, including serving high-risk arrest warrants, hostage rescue, armed intervention, counter-terrorism, and engaging heavily-armed criminals.
Fire Inspection Services
Each year since 2005, the County has offered to municipalities the opportunity to join in the Fire Inspection Services program utilizing the Gloucester County Fire Marshal as the Enforcing Agency for the New Jersey Fire Code.
Medical Examiners
Gloucester County has joined with Salem County and Camden County to provide medical examiner services. By New Jersey statute, this service is required in order to determine the cause and manner of death, and involves investigation, viewings and autopsies.
Health Services
Through contracts with all 24 municipalities of Gloucester County, the Division of Health provides a range of public health nursing activities, environmental health services, public health information and health education services to all residents of Gloucester County. Many of these services focus upon protecting persons from health threats and assisting residents to adopt healthful lifestyles. Most of these programs are provided to county residents at no charge.
Contact Information:
Gerald A. White, Deputy County Administrator, (856) 853-3275, gwhite@co.gloucester.nj.us
Michelle R. Pandolfo, Special Project Manager, (856) 853-3261, mpandolfo@co.gloucester.nj.us
Mailing Address:
County of Gloucester
County Administration
Attn: Shared Services
P.O. Box 337
Woodbury, NJ 08096
Street Address:
Old County Court House
1 North Broad Street
Woodbury, NJ 08096
Links:
New Jersey Department of Community Affairs: www.state.nj.us/dca
New Jersey State League of Municipalites: www.njslom.org
New Jersey Association of Counties: www.njac.org
New Jersey Shared Services Association: www.njsharedservices.org
Suggestions, Questions, Comments:
Please contact gcsharedservices@co.gloucester.nj.us