NYSAC director tells county lawmakers state is in chaos
NORWICH – Even though an annual budget will be in place within the next couple of weeks, the New York State Legislature has done nothing to address the root of the nearly $10 billion deficit, said the top representative of the New York State Association of Counties on Monday.
“We’ve suggested cutting costs across the board. They haven’t reduced any amount of expenditures,” said NYSAC Executive Director Stephen J. Acquario.
The executive was on hand at the monthly gathering of the Chenango County Board of Supervisors at the County Office Building in Norwich. He said he was “escaping the heat in Albany.”
“It’s been tough. The chaos is unprecedented, disgraceful and a disservice to the public,” he said.
Later in the day on Monday, state lawmakers approved Governor David Paterson’s emergency spending bill which included more than $300 million in cuts to social services and mental health mandated programs. Acquario said counties will be forced to make up the difference in the following: Flexible Family Fund Services, Welfare Assistance, and the Office of Children and Family Services. The county’s portion of youth detention costs could also increase.
The Governor is expected to shift state costs to local government for public safety and education next.
“I’m afraid there’s no immediate end in sight for the chaos,” Acquario told county lawmakers. “It makes our job of being mindful of property taxes more and more difficult.”
Even though the towns are expected to receive allocations from the Consolidated Highway Improvement Services program very soon, Acquario said the program is broken and not sustainable.
He said NYSAC is currently lobbying for an extension to Medicaid insurance payments through June 2012, and facilitating the installation of public safety broadband Internet capacity for municipal 911 emergency responders.
The New York State Association of Counties is a bipartisan municipal association serving all 62 counties of New York State including the City of New York. Organized in 1925, NYSAC’s mission is to represent, educate and advocate for member counties and the thousands of elected and appointed county officials who serve the public.
A representative of NYSAC’s insurance coverages and risk management services division, called the New York Municipal Insurance Reciprocal, presented surplus checks to 10 town supervisors and Chenango County Board Chairman Richard B. Decker. A collaboration of the New York State Conference of Mayors, the Association of Towns of the State of New York and the New York State Association of Counties, NYMIR was established and licensed in 1993.
Chenango County received $18,225.
“We’ve suggested cutting costs across the board. They haven’t reduced any amount of expenditures,” said NYSAC Executive Director Stephen J. Acquario.
The executive was on hand at the monthly gathering of the Chenango County Board of Supervisors at the County Office Building in Norwich. He said he was “escaping the heat in Albany.”
“It’s been tough. The chaos is unprecedented, disgraceful and a disservice to the public,” he said.
Later in the day on Monday, state lawmakers approved Governor David Paterson’s emergency spending bill which included more than $300 million in cuts to social services and mental health mandated programs. Acquario said counties will be forced to make up the difference in the following: Flexible Family Fund Services, Welfare Assistance, and the Office of Children and Family Services. The county’s portion of youth detention costs could also increase.
The Governor is expected to shift state costs to local government for public safety and education next.
“I’m afraid there’s no immediate end in sight for the chaos,” Acquario told county lawmakers. “It makes our job of being mindful of property taxes more and more difficult.”
Even though the towns are expected to receive allocations from the Consolidated Highway Improvement Services program very soon, Acquario said the program is broken and not sustainable.
He said NYSAC is currently lobbying for an extension to Medicaid insurance payments through June 2012, and facilitating the installation of public safety broadband Internet capacity for municipal 911 emergency responders.
The New York State Association of Counties is a bipartisan municipal association serving all 62 counties of New York State including the City of New York. Organized in 1925, NYSAC’s mission is to represent, educate and advocate for member counties and the thousands of elected and appointed county officials who serve the public.
A representative of NYSAC’s insurance coverages and risk management services division, called the New York Municipal Insurance Reciprocal, presented surplus checks to 10 town supervisors and Chenango County Board Chairman Richard B. Decker. A collaboration of the New York State Conference of Mayors, the Association of Towns of the State of New York and the New York State Association of Counties, NYMIR was established and licensed in 1993.
Chenango County received $18,225.
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