February 9, 2007
NYSAC Executive Budget Webinar Covers County Impact
NYSAC Legislative staff today briefed more than 450 elected and appointed county officials on the Governor’s proposed Executive Budget through an Internet-based seminar.
The Webinar provided an opportunity for NYSAC to present a more detailed analysis of the Executive Budget to officials in 47 counties from across the state.
With the Webinar, NYSAC is able to leverage today’s technology tools to advance its mission: to represent, educate and advocate for member counties and the thousands of elected and appointed county officials who serve the public. (Ken Crannell)
NYSAC Testifies Before Legislative Committees
On Monday, NYSAC testified before the Joint Legislative Hearing of the Senate Finance and Assembly Ways and Means committees. The testimony provided Assembly and Senate leaders with a summary of how Governor Eliot Spitzer’s Executive Budget impacts counties.
According to the testimony, “major Executive Budget highlights with a positive impact on counties include the full implementation of the local Medicaid cap and a new state parole violator process designed to relieve pressure on local jails. Issues of concern to NYSAC include a plan to charge counties approximately $110 million over five years for Office of Children and Families Services (OCFS) State Training School Placements, the impact of state mandated salary increases associated with the proposed judicial salary increase and Medicaid cost containment measures that will burden county operated nursing facilities.”
To read more, you can download the full document at www.nysac.org.
On Wednesday, NYSAC Executive Director Stephen J. Acquario presented testimony to the Senate Local Government Committee. He summarized the highpoints of the budget testimony and presented Senators with NYSAC’s key legislative priorities for this state Legislative Session. The priorities include:
- Capping counties’ financial liability for the Pre-school Special Education and Early Intervention programs;
- Fully implementing the local Medicaid cap as part of the Governor’s expanded Medicaid reform effort;
- Holding Counties harmless from retroactive rate increases associated with state training school placements (as a result of failure by the NYS Office of Children and Family Services to annual update their reimbursement rates);
- Reforming the Public Employment Relations Act to support the needs of local taxpayers;
- Reforming state policy for housing State prisoners in local correctional facilities; and
- Pursuing mandate relief measures to reduce fiscal burdens.
(Ken Crannell)
State Legislature Elects New State Comptroller
Audits and fiscal oversight reports coming from the New York State Office of the State Comptroller will have a new name on the cover page: Thomas P. DiNapoli.
DiNapoli was elected by a margin of 150-56 over NYC Finance Commissioner Martha Stark. DiNapoli, a member of the State Assembly representing part of Nassau County, fills a vacancy in the Comptrollers position left when Alan Hevesi resigned.
DiNapoli will serve out the remainder of Hevesi’s four-year term in office. He was sworn in on Wednesday, an hour after the vote took place.
As comptroller, DiNapoli will be responsible for producing audits of state and local government organizations, approving public contracts and acting as the sole trustee of the state's $145.7 billion public employee pension fund. (Pete Savage)
Clerks come to Albany to push ID theft legislation and install new President
The New York State Association of County Clerks made the trek to Albany this past week to meet with State leaders. At their annual legislative conference, the clerks attended sessions discussing how best to protect and secure public documents that contain personal identification. This year the Association will seek legislation that will allow them to block out unnecessary personal identifying information on documents they record and make publicly available in their offices.
Acting Commissioner of the State Department of Motor Vehicles and former Erie County Clerk, David Swarts, addressed the group on Monday afternoon. Commissioner Swarts stressed that his office will keep line of communication open between State DMV and his former Clerk colleagues; a long time, bipartisan complaint of many County Clerks during the former administration.
The Clerks also installed the new Association President, Saratoga County Clerk Kathy Marchione. President Marchione plans an aggressive agenda for her term in office. Plans include the creation of an on-line resource manual for County Clerks, creation of an Association e-recording taskforce and the creation of several educational tools for member clerks. (Pete Savage)
Next week
- The Senate and Assembly will be in Session on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of next week.
- State Legislative committees will hold Budget hearings next week on Environmental Conservation, Health, Medicaid and Aging, Public Protection and Transportation.
