May 18, 2007
The 2007 County Directory is now available
The 2007 County Directory—the only up-to-date comprehensive listing for elected and appointed county officials across the state—is now available through NYSAC. This easy to use, county-by-county reference also has separate listings of county executives, county board chairs and more than 20 affiliated county associations.
To order your directory, visit http://www.nysac.org/About/County_Directory.php.
Southern Tier Leaders Convene Workforce Summit
County leaders in the nine-county Southern Tier Region convened a workforce summit this week in Binghamton to review results of a recent workforce study and discuss strategies to strengthen the economic future of the region. The meeting was sponsored by the New York State Association of Counties (NYSAC) and the New York State Department of Labor.
At the meeting, chief elected county officials and workforce and economic development leaders were briefed on the results of a Cornell University study that looked at the region’s advanced manufacturing jobs. The Cornell study used a combination of existing economic and workforce data and interviews with manufacturing executives to get a snapshot of advanced manufacturing in the nine counties of the Southern Tier including Broome, Tioga, Chemung, Schuyler, Steuben, Tompkins, Chenango, Delaware and Otsego Counties.
The meeting was part of NYSAC’s Workforce Intelligence Project, a research project designed to help counties in the Southern Tier region work together to adapt a strategy designed to ensure an innovative workforce for the region’s future growth. The project, made possible with a grant from the Department of Labor, is designed to promote active dialogue between local elected and community leaders on the challenges and opportunities they will face in bringing about economic renewal on a regional basis.
For a copy of the summary findings from the Cornell University study, visit www.nysac.org. (Isabelle Andrews)
Governor Signs Executive Order to Unionize Home-Based Day-Care Providers
Last Friday, Governor Spitzer signed and Executive Order allowing an estimated 60,000 home-based day care providers to join public employee unions for the purpose of collective bargaining on matters of wages, benefits and work conditions. The Governor’s action is similar to a bill that passed the Legislature last year but was vetoed by then Governor Pataki that allowed day care workers, who receive government subsidies, to join public employee unions.
NYSAC had strongly opposed the bill because it would have set a bad precedent and strained available day care funding and reduced services. New York City raised similar concerns and said that “Increasing the cost of providing day care without increasing State funding for day care - like today’s Executive Order does - will lead to reductions in affordable child care for working New Yorkers. Our projections predict the potential loss of approximately 15,000 child care slots in New York City. We are disappointed that the Executive Order did not include a commitment to additional State funding, and we believe that this could have the unfortunate consequence of counteracting New York City’s innovative plans to reduce poverty and increase access to childcare.”
Home Day Care providers perform an important service to families living in poverty or in low income circumstances, but allowing these workers to join public employee unions for the purpose of collective bargaining sets a new precedent with unknown consequences. A copy of the Executive Order is available at http://www.ny.gov/governor/executive_orders/exeorders/12.html. (Ken Crannell)
Leaders lay Wicks Reform Proposals on the table
Reform of the Wicks law was among the topics debated at the second open leaders meeting between the Governor and Legislative leaders this past week. Three plans were laid on the table for discussion; all of which would slightly increase the Wicks threshold. The Governor’s plan, which continues to mirror his Executive Budget Proposal, increases the threshold to $1 million dollars for upstate projects, and $2 million for projects in New York City. The State Senate Majority proposes to increase the threshold to $250,000 for upstate and $1 million for New York City. A third proposal presented by the Senate Minority on behalf of the building trade unions was also debated. This new proposal would create a three tier Wicks threshold; $2 million for New York City, $1 million for New York City suburbs and $500,000 elsewhere in the State.
In the end, the Governor suggested he would create a working group, similar to the one he created on workers compensation reform, to look at all the proposal and issues surrounding reform of the Wicks law. Any working group would need to report back to the Governor and Legislative Leaders prior to June 21 if this issue is to be settled before the Senate and Assembly depart for the summer.
Based on data collected by NYSAC, a WICKS threshold of $5 million for counties would be substantially more beneficial for local property taxpayers. In addition, NYSAC has suggested that any federal, state, or court ordered project should be exempt for the WICKS requirements, providing even more fiscal relief. (Pete Savage)
911 Coordinators meet in Rensselaer; call for 911 funding reform
This week the New York State 911 Coordinators Association met in Rensselaer County to discuss emergency communications and other issues affecting county emergency call centers. The three-day event included presentations by experts on topics ranging from staff retention to updates on State emergency communications initiatives.
The group expressed the need for wireless 911 funding reform, citing the difficulties in meeting the growing demands placed on county Public Safety Answering Points (PSAP’s) with the limited funding they currently receive. Counties cannot adequately fund PSAP’s and replace aging equipment solely with locally-generated tax revenues. The primary sources of funding for PSAP’s are local wire line and wireless communications surcharges and allocations in county budgets. “It makes no sense that we must we rely on local taxes when there is already a State tax in place to maintain wireless emergency 911 infrastructure,” said John Merklinger who serves as both Monroe County 911 Coordinator and President of the Association. Since the inception of this State surcharge, New York State has collected nearly $200 million dollars in revenue with little of this funding going to the counties who provide these services.
NYSAC will continue to work with 911 Coordinators to lobby state leaders to divert an equitable and dedicated share of the State wireless 911 surcharge to counties. (Adriano Bongiorno)
County Projects to be Showcased at Shared Services Seminar
County efforts to develop programs of shared municipal services will be highlighted at a regional seminar co-sponsored by NYSAC, the Pelletier Institute, Cornell University, Cornell Cooperative Extension and the SUNY Fredonia Center for Rural Regional Development and Governance, May 31, 2007 at the Holiday Inn in Batavia New York.
The opening plenary session will feature a presentation on the findings of a study of shared municipal services in Western New York conducted by the SUNY Fredonia Center for Rural Regional Development and Governance. This study, which was conducted by Mark Thomas, former Chautauqua County Executive, took a comprehensive look at the status of shared municipal services in Western New York.
Individual breakout sessions on Wyoming County’s county-wide code enforcement program, highway shared services programs in Orleans and Chemung Counties, employee health Insurance initiatives in Tompkins County and public safety shared services initiatives in Genesee and Broome County will be among the featured presentations.
John Clarkson, Executive Director of the Governor’s Commission on Local Government Efficiency and Competitiveness, will give the featured luncheon address. Mr. Clarkson will outline the purposes of the commission and detail how the administration will develop its overall agenda to support local government efficiency and shared municipal services.
Participants who are registered with the Dennis A. Pelletier County Government Institute will receive credit toward the Institute’s certificate of achievement.
Register online for this session at http://hosts.cce.cornell.edu/cardi_forums/. Space is limited. A nominal registration fee of $30 will be required to register.
For more details on the program, visit the website of Cornell University’s Community and Rural Development Institute at http://cardi.cce.cornell.edu/editorstree/view/123. (Jeff Osinski)
Next Week
- The Senate and Assembly are scheduled to be in Albany for Legislative Session on Monday and Tuesday.
