2002 Budget Message
Preserving Putnam’s Future: “A Balanced Approach”
September 6, 2001
Ladies and Gentlemen of the County Legislature, Department
Heads and County Employees, and most important of all, the citizens of Putnam
County who have entrusted us with the opportunity to serve – Good Evening.
We are gathered
here tonight to discuss the 2002 County Budget. That sounds simple enough, yet is not simple at all because of
what Putnam County Budgets in general, and this budget in particular, represent. These budgets are much more than mere
numbers, more than debits and credits.
Our Budgets reflect our priorities; they reflect the challenges our
citizens’ face and how we in County Government meet these challenges. When we first took office in 1991, our early
budgets were dedicated to fiscal solvency.
We inherited a County Government facing a deficit caused by high
spending and an economic recession. We
needed to right our fiscal ship, while improving service delivery to meet the
needs of our citizens. We did
that. We enacted eleven departmental
consolidations/combinations making County Government more efficient and
effective for our residents. We
eliminated over $ 1,000,000 annually in rental payments and acquired
properties such as the Donald B. Smith Campus, investing for the future of our
great County. We, with the Board’s
approval, will continue this program with a specific initiative that I will
discuss later. By the mid-nineties our
Governmental transformation had taken hold, and instead of facing deficits we
created surpluses that have been used to provide property tax relief to our
overburdened real property taxpayers.
As the accompanying graph shows, Property Tax rate increases have decreased
over the past eleven years, and our taxpayers have received a 7% property tax
cut since 1998. Tonight, I am pleased
to present a 2002 Budget that both builds on this tradition and keeps the
commitment we made in the March State of the County Address. I am pleased to present a 2002 County Budget
that contains a 0%
property tax increase.
In
addition to lowering or freezing property tax rates, our later year budgets
began to address problems in the “too hard to handle box.” We began a debt management and reduction
program that has lowered long-term debt payments by 59% since 1992. We’ve tackled problems such as West Nile
Virus and Y2k, that weren’t even on the radar screen in 1991. We began growing tremendously as a County,
and, as a result, our need to protect the environment grew too. The landmark Watershed Memorandum of
Agreement was drafted and signed on January 21st, 1997, and we
undertook the single most important, ambitious long-term solution to preserving
clean drinking water for future generations; we tried to implement a plan
commonly known as Diversion.
You are all aware that our diversion team and I have been
working on our Proposal for Clean Drinking Water and Regional Water Quality for
some time. The Legislature has been
very supportive of this effort. The
proposal would completely remove wastewater effluent from all wastewater
treatment plants (WWTPs) in Putnam County from the NYC watershed by diverting
effluent flow to the Hudson River near Peekskill. Further, the plan incorporated the opportunity for areas in the
county that have failing or likely to fail septic systems to connect to the
diversion pipe. Additionally, our
proposal defined ways to help the city of Peekskill address its water quality
issues in its watershed in Putnam Valley.
Representatives from Putnam have met with numerous
stakeholders during the course of our analyses and we have had our engineers,
planners, and Watershed Special Counsel devote significant blocks of time to
research the issue, prepare reports, and attend numerous public and technical
meetings. As recently as July 13, 2001,
the Chairman of the Legislature and I sent a letter to the Governor appealing
to him to become directly involved in the issue. This letter was supported by a resolution passed by the
Legislature in July memorializing the Proposal for Clean Drinking Water and
Regional Water Quality. We also sent a
letter to the NYCDEP on July 6, 2001 requesting an immediate meeting to discuss
open issues and to reach final agreement.
We have, in summary, exhausted what Putnam County can do. We have met our Memorandum of Agreement
(MOA) obligation to analyze the feasibility of diversion. We have presented a long-range plan to
address water quality issues for millions of users of New York City's water
supply system and the city of Peekskill.
We have also presented a plan that would improve the water quality for
the future for our own residents.
Unfortunately, our proposal has been competing with
NYCDEPs WWTP upgrade program. Both
programs have been moving forward on parallel tracks and competing for some of
the same funds. The upgrade program is
designed to upgrade all WWTPs in NYC watershed to treat wastewater effluent to
micro filtration standards. While this
is a high level of treatment, the wastewater effluent will still be deposited
into the surface waters that discharge to the reservoir system. In effect, the wastewater effluent will
continue to be cocktailed or mixed with the drinking water supply. The upgrade program is moving forward at a
faster pace compared to the Proposal for Clean Drinking Water and Regional
Water Quality. The NYCDEP is still
under pressure from the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) to meet the
upgrade deadline of May 2002. There is
no indication that this deadline will be relaxed. Time is not on our side to advance what we believe is a more
superior alternative. Regrettably, we
have concluded that the major stakeholders, including the NYCDEP and the state
of New York, are not enthusiastic about aggressively pursuing our Proposal for
Clean Drinking Water and Regional Water Quality. It has been more than a month since correspondence has been
received from either party. In fact,
our last correspondence from NYCDEP, dated June 19, 2001, encouraged the use of
the East of Hudson Water Quality funds for other water quality improvement
projects such as septic management, reducing non-point source pollution, and
land acquisition.
Although we believe that Putnam County developed a sound
and superior long-term regional water quality solution by guaranteeing the
complete removal of all WWTP effluent from the watershed and offering to take
over the operation of all WWTPs, we must also recognize realities. Putnam County has received little support
from the NYCDEP and the State and Federal agencies for our initiative. We will welcome future discussions about the
Proposal for Clean Drinking Water and Regional Water Quality, but the time has
come to move on. There are other pressing
water quality issues such as non-point source pollution and septic problem
areas that demand our attention.
Therefore, as strongly as we believe in our Clean Drinking
Water Proposal for the future of Putnam County and the entire region, we must
accept the reality of the situation; that Putnam County cannot achieve this
without the help of other stakeholders such as the DEP, DEC, EPA, Westchester
County, and the City of Peekskill.
Tonight, we are recommending that Putnam County terminate all staff work
on this proposal and redirect our collective efforts on alternative water quality
and open space initiatives. Please make
no mistake on the following three points:
1)
Throughout the entire Diversion process, Putnam County has
conducted itself in a professional, thorough, and scientific manner consistent
with the very best long-term interest of its residents - present and future.
2)
The work we have done on the Clean Drinking Water Proposal was
not done in vain. We still strongly
believe there will come a day when all parties concerned will agree that we must
stop the practice of cocktailing the drinking water of 9 million
people, including Putnam and Westchester County residents with sewage effluent.
3)
My commitment, and I believe the commitment of this
Legislative Board to preserving the environment, clean drinking water,
and open space remains just as firm as before.
Putnam County is at a critical juncture for its future. We must take action today to preserve the
environment of our County. Together we
will take action to preserve the environment of Putnam County. I pledge to the Board and all of the
citizens of Putnam County that this will remain as a top priority as long as I
am privileged to serve as your County Executive.
Indeed, we have already started to address other water
quality issues. In fact, the Croton
Plan process has been underway since November 1997 under the direction of our
Director of Planning and Development, John Lynch. John has reported to you a number of times on the plan's
progress. Among the objectives of the
plan is to identify water quality problems and recommend measures to improve
water quality. The watershed
municipalities have been deeply involved in plan preparation. The final draft plan is targeted to be
finalized in the next six months. In
addition, the Legislature has recently passed a resolution to begin to study
alternative solutions to addressing wastewater disposal needs of septic focus
areas/lake communities and storm water non-point source controls. Failing septics and storm water run-off
contribute significantly to water quality problems. The resolution you passed last night is a beginning. We must seek a dedicated funding source
beyond the East of Hudson Water Quality (EOH) funds to address non-point source
pollution and wastewater disposal from failing septics. These are existing problems that are likely
to require substantial initial amounts of funds to correct. Funds will also be needed to sustain
on-going programs. We recommend that we advance the case to NYCDEP, USEPA, and
the State that the funds projected for a Croton filtration plant be used
instead for programs to improve water quality in the Croton watershed.
Accepting that
our drinking water proposal will not become reality, we faced a choice. We could throw up our hands and say “We
tried, it’s not our problem anymore”. Let’s
commit to offer our unconditional support to the City of Peekskill to help them
protect the Watershed upon which they will depend for clean drinking
water. We are most serious in our
resolve to be good neighbors with the City of Peekskill. We have thus
incorporated our most extensive environmental protection program yet into the
2002 County Budget. We are recommending
that we aggressively pursue more land acquisition of key parcels in the
watershed. Acquisition of open space is
recognized under the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) as a viable means to protect
water quality. Acquisition of land will
protect water quality for our residents as well as users of the NYC water
supply system because we will be protecting our water supply recharge areas and
preventing the increase of more impervious surfaces which is a major source of
pollution. Back in March, we spoke
about open space/protected lands in Putnam County. We spoke about the fact that we are fortunate that over 35% of
Putnam County is open space/protected lands.
We agreed then, that, even with Diversion, the need for open
space/protected lands was great, and now without Diversion the preservation of
open space/protected lands becomes an even greater priority. However, the quantity of open space is not
nearly as important as the quality of open space. Tonight, we are announcing a series of open space initiatives in
each town to protect water quality, air quality and preserve the environment
for our future. Let us discuss these
initiatives now.
SOUTHEAST – TILLY FOSTER FARM
Working in partnership with the Town of Southeast Town
Board, we are committing tonight to purchase the Tilly Foster Farm and an
adjoining 100+ acre parcel in Southeast.
All told, this purchase will encompass 4 parcels of approximately 340
acres, protecting lands from Simpson Road out to route 312 from the potential
construction of a possible 600+ condominiums, and the negative environmental,
infrastructure and property tax burdens that such construction would bring. The thought of another 1,000+ cars driving
Route 312 daily is not a pleasant one.
Nor are the inevitable higher school taxes, and water pollution of the
Westbranch Reservoir. We want to avoid
these problems, and just as importantly, preserve our past and our future. We are recommending that the Legislature use
some of the EOH funds for this vital acquisition to protect water quality. We
will work to keep the integrity and beauty of the farm that our citizens
currently enjoy and deserve. Now I
would like to ask Town of Southeast Supervisor Lois Zutell to say a few words.
CARMEL – PUTNAM COUNTRY CLUB/AIRPORT PROPERTY
Working in partnership with the Carmel town board, we are
requesting the Legislature to authorize the Administration to negotiate for the
purchase of the Putnam Country Club/Airport property, consisting of parcels
containing 353 acres of property. The
purchase of this property, again to be funded from EOH Funds, will once and for
all eliminate the proposed construction of 215 townhouses to protect our
watershed. We intend to operate the
current golf course on the property as a municipal golf course, providing our
residents with this recreation at an affordable cost. Now I would like to ask Town of Carmel Supervisor Frank DelCampo
to say a few words.
KENT – KENT ACRES PROPERTY
Currently, the owners of this 98-acre parcel, located off
Nichols Street in Kent, are planning to construct 303 townhouses on this
property. The County is owed about
$ 1.9 million in back tax money.
While this issue is currently the subject of litigation, we are
recommending that the County preserve its rights in the property, and if the
County obtains the property through judicial settlement that it not be sold for
development, and that EOH Funds be used to restore the property to a natural
environmental state, and the current dilapidated buildings be taken down.
PATTERSON – THE GREAT SWAMP
Tonight we are recommending that the County be prepared to
use EOH Funds to join forces with the State of New York for land acquisitions
in the Great Swamp. Under the MOA
provisions, the NYCDEP would need to approve the use of EOH funds for land
acquisition. However, based on the
previously mentioned letter from NYCDEP, dated June 19, 2001, this should be a
formality. We will continue to work
with organizations such as the Friends of the Great Swamp to continue and
enhance the job already done by dedicated individuals such as the late Mike
Ciaiola in protecting this natural treasure.
PUTNAM VALLEY
- PEEKSKILL HOLLOW ROAD SCENIC HIGHWAY
The residents of Peekskill Hollow Road have spoken and we
have listened. We will work with the
Friends of Peekskill Hollow Road to create a scenic highway, preserving the
rural and bucolic look of the roadway, while performing necessary safety enhancements. We will need and ask for the help of
Congresswoman Kelly in this effort, in order to preserve, and, if necessary,
revise appropriate Federal funding streams.
The Peekskill Hollow Road Scenic Highway Program reminds us that
Government has to serve the people, not take away the way of life that brought
us here in the first place.
PHILIPSTOWN
– FORMER MARATHON BATTERY SITE
Currently, Putnam County is owed approximately
$ 645,000 in back taxes dating from 1983-1998 on this superfund cleanup
site. Tonight, I am asking the County
Attorney and Commissioner of Finance to begin the tax lien foreclosure process
on this property. If the County should
ultimately assume ownership of the property, we will work with the Village of
Cold Spring and the Town of Philipstown to preserve and maintain this property,
possibly creating a passive park.
This is a beautiful parcel of property that has for too long not been
available to our citizens. Let’s all
work together to return this land to Putnam’s people.
In our acquisition program, we will be working with the
NYCDEP to have them take conservation easements on appropriate lands in order
that we may continue to receive tax payments on the land. Also, we will attempt to convince the NYCDEP
and the State to spend some of the allocated $17 million for land acquisition
in the Croton watershed in Putnam County.
For me, it is troubling to know that we have phosphorus restricted
basins and growth pressures threatening water quality in the Croton watershed,
yet the NYCDEP is not using one of its primary tools in their watershed
management arsenal, land acquisition, in the Putnam County portion of the
Croton system. We must and will fight
for a change in this practice.
These open space initiatives represent a huge investment
in preserving the future of Putnam County, and will require much time and
effort to implement and manage. We have
therefore included in this budget a position of Open Space Coordinator,
effective 7/1/2002, to manage these programs.
LAWSUIT – MERRITT CONSERVATION AREA PROPERTY
The initiatives we just described will add to our precious
natural resources and help protect against over-development. However protecting our environment includes
not only adding to our inventory of protected lands, we must also protect those
lands already owned by the County. In
1999, the Walter G. Merritt Conservation Area was severely damaged by
unauthorized removal of rock from the property, which was subsequently
determined to be used in connection with the construction of a garden area on a
wealthy estate. The matter was
appropriately forwarded to the District Attorney’s Office for review. We cannot and will not tolerate the abuse of
our natural treasures for personal gain, and tonight we are forwarding to the Legislature
a Resolution authorizing the County Attorney to commence an appropriate plenary
action against all other responsible parties arising out of the intrusion at
the Walter G. Merritt Conservation Area.
We are seeking damages in excess of $ 10 million. We must be vigilant about the environmental
protection of the people’s property and we will not tolerate acts such as
this. We have included in this budget
the expansion of a park ranger position from part time to full time to
carefully monitor all of our parklands and conservation areas.
TRAILWAYS
Our environmental protection and enhancement plan includes
completion of trailways within the County.
In early October, the County will open Trailway I, a 1.83 mile trailway
from Baldwin Place to Harlem Rd. in Mahopac.
This Budget includes a capital plan to finance approximately $ 1
million necessary to complete Trailway II, a 5.68 mile trailway from the Hamlet
of Mahopac to Seminary Hill Road in Carmel.
This project is slated to go out for bid in January of 2002, and when
completed our citizens will be able to travel from Carmel down to Yonkers in
Westchester County (44 miles) enjoying these trailways.
PURCHASE OF 10 FAIR SREET & 34
GLENEIDA AVENUE
Earlier I spoke
about the building acquisition program, and how property purchases by the
County have saved our taxpayers over $ 1,000,000 in annual rental payments,
providing assets to our citizens, rather than liabilities. I am pleased to recommend to the Legislature
tonight that we continue this tradition.
In the coming days I will be forwarding, for your consideration and
approval, proposals to purchase two properties known as 10 Fair Street and 34
Gleneida Avenue. These properties
border the County Office Buildings and will significantly enhance this government
campus, the People’s campus. These
additions allow for future growth and facilitate the Courthouse Construction
project. The County will pay $ 870,000
and $ 425,000 for 34 Gleneida Avenue and 10 Fair Street, respectively. The purchase prices were determined by an
independent appraisal, fair to both County and property owners. They will be funded through reprogrammed
capital project funds, representing a significant investment in the bright
future of the Hamlet of Carmel.
PROBATION DIRECTOR APPOINTMENT
The development and implementation of these initiatives
cannot be accomplished without the efforts of high quality employees. From the Legislature to the rank and file
employees the People of Putnam County can be proud of the Civil Servants who
work for them. It is my pleasure
tonight to publicly introduce our new Probation Director, Mr. Gene
Funicelli. Gene participated in an
extensive selection process that included a Civil Service exam and appearance
before an interview committee consisting of Edward Powers, Member of the
Conditional Release Commission, Karen Damiani, Rockland County Probation
Director, Renee Jarrett, Case Supervisor in Social Services, Theresa
Giovanniello, Chief of Staff, and Paul Eldridge, our Personnel Director.
Five outstanding applicants were interviewed by the
Committee. Gene has a Masters Degree in
Education and brings almost 14 years of experience in Probation and over 9
years of experience in the Mental Health field to the Director’s position and I
am pleased he has accepted this leadership role.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Ms. Donna
Wilson who has served as Acting Director since January. Her efforts and stewardship during the
transition period from Don DeVita’s retirement until the permanent appointment
of Gene is truly appreciated.
THE ECONOMY AND THE BUDGET
Over the next month, we will be meeting at length with the
Legislature poring over the specifics of this budget, the numbers contained in
appendix A. Right now we believe that it is important to discuss the economy
and the effect it has had on this 2002 budget.
We all know that the national economy is slowing. We are inundated by reports of dot.com
failures, layoffs, falling consumer confidence and declining stock
markets. Certainly, Putnam County is
not immune to these trends, as sales tax collections remitted to Putnam County
are down 3% from last year for the first six months. We are all concerned; in fact I recently received a memorandum from
Audit and Administration Committee Chairman McGuigan requesting my budgetary
plans to address a stalling economy.
First, we as a Legislature and Administration need to determine whether
we are going to treat this economic slump as a short-term cycle or a prolonged
recession. This Administration believes
that this is a short-term cycle, a decision based upon the scientific body of
knowledge available to us. Putnam
County still has many favorable economic indicators. Most importantly, Putnam people are still working. Our unemployment rate (2.9%) as of July 2001
is still among the very lowest in the State.
The Real Estate market is holding its own. The median price of a house
($ 239,900 as indicated in our March address) has risen to
the point that affordable housing is a concern. People still want to live and work in Putnam County. The Highlands Retail Shopping Center
project, the largest retailing venture in the History of the County, continues
to progress. It is expected that Home
Depot will open this year, and when completed, this project will increase the
total retail square footage within the County by an estimated 30%, eventually
adding an estimated $ 3.3 Million to County coffers. These positives, we believe, will enable the
County to avoid a prolonged recession and the accompanying painful cuts in
services. Our General Fund balance of
$ 15.9 Million and our balanced deliberate approach to our budget and
County Government fiscal policy will enable us to weather short-term economic
downturns.
The 2002 Budget continues our balanced, deliberate
approach, especially in light of the current economic environment. Our prudent approach dictates that we are
unable to fund many new initiatives. The budget includes few new positions
(most of which contain full or partial reimbursement), and no increases for
those funded agencies that help increase the quality of life for our
citizens. However, we have forwarded to
the Legislature a proposal that these agencies receive a 4% funding increase through
the expenditure of OTB Surplus funds.
We continue to recognize that Government is not the American Dream, and
we can only do what our financial resources will allow.
Frequently,
I am asked, why can’t we fund more quality of life initiatives without raising
property taxes? Just cut out prisoner
care or some social services program?
The answer is that, even if we wanted to, we legally cannot. Our
residents must understand that County Government, more than any other form of
Local Government, faces legal Federal and State mandates that dictate our
spending. Only after we do what we have
to do, can we do what we want to do.
To understand the fiscal pressures we grapple with, we need look no
farther than three Mandated Programs: Medicaid, Education of Preschool Handicapped
Children, and the living expense funding of the placement of school children
with special educational needs. We
begin with the largest program, Medicaid.
To fully understand the true costs of providing this medical program for
our most vulnerable citizens, consider that the total cost of Medicaid Assistance provided for Putnam residents in
federal fiscal year 1999 - 2000 was $ 46,130,574.
For 2000 - 2001 it
will rise approximately 10% to $ 50,743,000. We anticipate an increase of 10% for 2001 - 2002 as well, to over
$ 55 Million. Of that,
$ 46,130,574 the federal government pays 50%, the State pays approximately 34% and the County pays the
balance of 16%. These costs are driven by eligibility, and each year the number of Putnam
residents eligible for Medicaid increases.
While there has been a slight decrease of those eligible for Medicaid as
a result of poverty, there has been an overall increase in those eligible. Some of this increase is made up of citizens
with disabilities, some are elderly who require long term care, both in
institutions and at home. This year,
the number of Medicaid eligibles rose by 3%.
The accompanying graphs help illustrate the rising costs. In 1999, the County's share of Medicaid was
$7,465,201. In 2000, it was
$7,697,949. In 2001 we project it to
equal $9,103,983, and we project in 2002 that the cost of providing Medicaid to
Putnam residents will come to $ 9,772,400. This portion of our local tax levy in 1990 equaled 14%. In 2002, we expect Medicaid spending to make
up 35.5% of our total local tax levy.
In many counties, the percentage is even higher. In November 2001, New York State will
initiate Family Health Plus, a program that will expand Medicaid eligibility to
families who earn too much income to be eligible for Medicaid, but who are
unable to purchase costly health insurance privately. These are hard workers who make up our lower and middle income
working class.
We applaud
Governor Pataki's initiative in continuing New York State's long and historic
compassionate tradition of providing service to its people, a tradition that
stems from New York State being the first to have public schools, public health
programs, and other services to the sick and needy such as State mental
hospitals. It is important to point
out, however, that Medicaid is becoming the primary payor for the uninsured. It
is filling the gaps created when the federal government did not develop a
national health insurance program. We
point this out so that our citizens will know that, when our Medicaid expenditures
increase, and County taxpayers are forced to pay the bill, the inevitable
result is less funding for discretionary programs. As I have often said We are not Miracle Workers Here. More money required to fund Medicaid
translates into less money to be used to fund other programs.
Other perennial “budget busters” are the
Early Intervention and Education of Preschool Handicapped programs, which
service children aged 0-5. In
2000, the Early Intervention program received 178 new referrals and provided
services to a total of 320 Putnam County Children. In 2001, we project an increase to 375 children and for 2002 we
expect that number to increase to 450 Putnam County Children who will require
services through the Early Intervention program. In 2000, the Preschool Handicapped program provided services to
313 children between the ages of 3-5.
By the end of 2001, this number is expected to increase to 375 children,
and for 2002, we are projecting to provide services to approximately 450
children. In 2000, Putnam County spent
approximately $ 6,655,041 for the Early Intervention and the Preschool
Handicapped Programs. In 2001, the
County has currently budgeted $ 7,908,197 for these two programs. The proposed 2002 budget for both programs
is $ 8,367,727, which represents a 6% increase over the 2001 budget.
The third mandated program we mentioned that
is straining the County budget is the requirement to provide for the living
expenses of children who are placed in residential programs by school district
committees on special education. Children placed by these committees evidence
diagnoses such as serious emotional disturbances, learning disabilities, autism
or physical handicaps. In 1997 and 1998, in any given month, five Putnam
children lived in residential facilities.
The total annual cost averaged between $ 200,000 to
$ 300,000. In 1999, 2000 and 2001
the number of children placed has steadily risen to 24. The cost in 2000 was $ 1,013,078. We estimate the cost for 2001 will rise to
$ 1,145,794, and we project the cost for 2002 to be $ 1,500,000. Why the dramatic increase? Well, we know that there are many more
children in our State being hospitalized for psychiatric reasons. Children as young as five years old are
being hospitalized for serious emotional disturbances. Some disabilities, such as autism are being
diagnosed at an earlier age. While our
County is increasing programs, such as the Home and Community Based Waiver
designed to keep children at home and keep out-of- home placements to a
minimum, the numbers continue to rise.
These three
Mandated programs alone account for 21.6% of the 2002 Budget Appropriations
increase, and unless cost containment is achieved on the State and Federal
level and/or more funding is received, it is the Real property taxpayer that
will ultimately bear the burden of these program costs.
You
may recall that in 1996 when Congress passed The Personal Responsibility and
Welfare Reform Act, one of the most contentious and controversial elements was
the placement of a 60-month time limit on the receipt of temporary assistance
benefits.
The purpose of the 60-month time
limit was to break the cycle of lifetime welfare dependency. Over the course of the 30 years of the
welfare program in America, an attitude of entitlement had developed. People felt that they were entitled to
public subsidy under any and all circumstances. One could detect the entitlement expectation when one saw able-bodied
men and women, without dependents, who came (and still come) to make application
for public assistance.
Four and one-half years ago, we
faced a major challenge. People said
that the effect of Welfare Reform would be catastrophic. They said we couldn’t do it.
Well, with four months left to go in
the original 60-month time limit, Putnam County has two families, out of
hundreds who have been in receipt of TANF benefits in the past five years -
two families who will exhaust their lifetime benefits.
The result of Welfare Reform is more
people working and more families being self-sufficient, without reliance on
government. They said it couldn’t be
done, but we did it!
The primary revenue source (32%) in the 2002
Budget remains the sales tax. The
modest sales tax revenue increase of $ 2,155,00 reflects the stagnant
economy as well as the contemplated opening of the Highlands Shopping
Center. This budget utilizes
$ 7,850,000 of Undesignated General Fund Surplus to offset property tax
increases, thereby returning these funds to taxpayers. This still leaves a healthy, but certainly
not excessive undesignated fund balance of $ 8,026,000 to protect against
a continuing downfall in the economy and preserve our bond rating. We have budgeted State and Federal Aid to
remain consistent. We have all
undoubtedly heard about the State’s so called “Baseline Budget”. It provides cuts in many programs, such as
in Aging, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, and Highway Operations Aid,
to name a few. We believe that it was
intended to be painful for political purposes, but we also believe that Albany
will sort these issues out and live up to the commitments made previously. If the “Baseline Budget” is not amended,
program cuts will be made, because the property taxpayer simply cannot, in our
view, be expected to pick up the tab.
CONCLUSION
I am proud of our
2002 Budget and what we are trying to accomplish. The most sweeping environmental protection program in the
County’s history is the centerpiece of this budget. The open space/protected lands initiatives we discussed earlier
will go a long way towards curtailing over-development and preserving our
County’s future. Certainly, our
balanced and deliberate approach prevents us from funding more programs,
increasing staffing and increasing the size of government to do even more for
our citizens. The reality is we must
live within the economic constraints that we face. The silver lining in these dark economic clouds is that we have
been able to focus more keenly on our priorities and deliver those initiatives
to accomplish these goals. Clean water
and clean air are fundamental rights of our citizens, rights this budget
preserves. We will continue to build
and operate senior centers, trailways and passive parks in an effective and
affordable manner. We will work with
Habitat for Humanity to provide housing opportunities for the economically
disadvantaged. Dr. Larry Maxwell,
Pastor of the Patterson Baptist Church and Patricia Perez, Coordinator of
Community Affairs for Putnam County are the co-chairs of the Steering
Committee, which is making progress in obtaining an affiliation with the
National Organization of Habitat for Humanity.
We will own Tilly Foster Farm and preserve it for future generations to
enjoy. Frank, Lois and Town Board
members, I want to thank you for being here tonight. We want to assure you that we will continue to partner with you
to solve problems in the “too hard to handle box” and make our County a better
place to live. I want to thank the
Putnam County Employees, whose daily efforts make this County Government succeed,
the employees in my office that enable me to succeed, and, most importantly,
the people of Putnam County who have entrusted us to work for you and provide a
better Putnam County for all of us.
As I close
tonight, I want to say one final thank you. I thank those concerned, dedicated citizens who took time out of
their busy lives to place signs all around Putnam County with the simple
slogan, “Save Tilly Foster Farm”. On
the surface, they were calling on all of us who serve in government to get involved
in saving a very important historical and environmental landmark that many of
us have enjoyed for years. In reality,
their message had even greater meaning and importance than just saving one
Putnam County Farm. In essence they
were issuing a clarion call – Let’s save Putnam County – Let’s preserve our way
of life, forever. With dedicated people
like them working with government, my optimism about Putnam County’s future has
no limits. Let us remember Vinny
Tamagna’s role in shepherding us through the early stages, and let’s not forget
the important role of our partners at the Village, Town, State and Federal
Government. Most importantly to the
people we serve, I wish to personally thank each member of the Putnam County
Legislature for the cooperation and dedication that has resulted in the putting
forth of this budget and these environmental protection plans this
evening. Together we can
preserve Putnam County’s future.
Together we will preserve Putnam County’s future.
Thank you and good
night.