Here & There Column 3-11-08

State Does Not Help Tough Times Ahead

Do we blame the State of New York and/or the County of Sullivan for what many are calling "tough times ahead"?
Sullivan County Legislature Chairman Jonathan Rouis in his first state-of-the-county address on February 21 warned of tough financial times ahead and outlined that several of the reasons for this outlook included the fact that taxes were high, towns are struggling to provide services and upcoming capital projects such as the state-mandated new county jail.
If Governor Spitzer gets his way with his proposed state budget the taxpayers of the state (and of course that includes us) will inherit a burden of nearly $1.5 billion.
State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said New York's debt payments would increase by nearly 50 percent in the next five years if the governor's proposed budget passes.
Sullivan County Treasurer Ira Cohen says if the proposed state budget is approved as it is that Sullivan County's property taxes could rise by three percent next year and that unfunded state mandates coupled with the governor's proposals to place additional financial burdens on counties will severely impact Sullivan County.
Now with all this gloom and doom being forecasted some level headed thinking will most likely prevail and state lawmakers will modify the budget so that the impact on counties will not be so severe.
But what really is the bottom line here.....why has government and the politicians running it not done something before the pot looks like it is going to boil over?
Government, municipalities and school districts in the past have been cautious to talk about any types of consolidation or sharing of services and so we applaud Sullivan County BOCES for offering up the idea of a central business office for districts. Consolidation more than likely would bring efficiency. A central business office for the county's eight school districts would definitely save money and would have an effect on school taxes.
The County of Sullivan has 15 townships and 5 village municipalities and one would certainly think that increasing service levels and combining service functions would result in saving taxpayers money.
What effect would one new municipality that would extend to the current borders of Sullivan County have on residents and taxpayers?
Discussion of consolidation has surfaced from time to time locally and it has been touted as a possible solution to the budgetary issues facing most municipalities in the area.
Consolidation means to join or unite but when it comes forth as an approach to government it stirs up strong responses. There is some thought that regional consolidation can promote fairness in the redistribution of tax revenue.
Sullivan County and its local municipalities are facing financial difficulties.
Consolidation could become attractive for several reasons, to lower taxes, to unify our communities, to foster economic development and to improve government effectiveness,
These could certainly mean more to the taxpayers in Sullivan County then what they are presently facing.