BERNE — A potential consolidation of Berne’s highway department with the Albany County Department of Public Works, as part of a state-mandated plan to cut property taxes by sharing government services, may not happen for at least another year, officials say.

The town board voted this spring to conduct a study of consolidating the highway department with the county’s DPW. Berne town Supervisor Kevin Crosier said last week that a study has not been conducted yet, but would take about a year to do. He expects it to begin following approval of a county-wide shared services plan, which is set to be approved on Sept. 15.

To either transfer functions of a department or dissolve that department completely, a local law must be created by the county’s panel of supervisors, followed by a referendum vote of the citizens of affected municipalities, according to the state’s Municipal Home Rule law.

Crosier said that the consolidation would not cut any job. Jim Malatras, president of one of the think-tanks responsible for drafting the county’s plan, the Rockefeller Institute, said that the plan submitted by Crosier to the county keeps the highway superintendent post; he would instead would act as the head of the local unit of the county should the department be consolidated.

The post is currently an elected one, held by Republican Randy Bashwinger who has frequently clashed with Crosier, a Democrat.

A panel of town supervisors, village and city mayors, and school district superintendents headed by County Executive Daniel McCoy participated in the plan’s formulation. The draft of the plan  includes an option for panel members to opt out of any proposed action that would impact their municipalities or school districts, but the action can still go forward for affected municipalities that have not opted out.