Still No Budget

The question being asked around Putnam governmental circles these days is: Will the 2010 budget process ever end?

On the heels of a budget hearing 24 hours earlier, members of the County Legislature conducted another fourhour long marathon budget deliberation Tuesday night. As the hour grew late, the lawmakers adjourned the session until next Tuesday when, it is hoped, the 2010 budget will finally be adopted.

The budget process this year has sharply divided the executive and legislative branches of county government.

Executive Robert Bondi’s initial $137 million fiscal spending plan, announced last month, proposed eliminating 49 full-time positions as well as the laying off of the county’s part-time STOP-DWI administrator; 15 percent reductions in contributions to outside agencies such as libraries, Cornell Cooperative Extension, the Putnam Historical Society, Southeast Museum, and the Putnam Humane Society; elimination of Friday trolley service in Cold and adult day care programs in Patterson, Saturday service in Mahopac and the Cold Spring Senior Center. Significant protest ensued.

Members of the legislature then met for the past month in committee reviewing Bondi’s recommendations, and during Tuesday’s meeting held at the Putnam County Courthouse before 75 residents and interested individuals, restored each of the executive’s cuts while slashing a number of positions on their own accord.

The legislators not only reinstated the STOP-DWI administrator post filled by Naura Slavinsky but also saved the recycling director’s position occupied by Walt Thompson.

The legislature eliminated the office of Community Affairs Director, with a budget line of $88,609, that is currently occupied by Patricia Perez, before creating a $25,000 part-time position under the auspices of the Health Department. The legislature also cut the $97,000 salary of the executive’s Chief of Staff to $60,000. The post has been vacant since early spring after Lisa Denig left county employment.

Legislator Sam Oliverio of Putnam Valley cast the lone dissenting vote on the Community Affairs Director position. The sole Democrat on the nine-member governing body told the Courier the position was not targeted by the administration: “My colleagues on this legislature have taken it upon themselves to eliminate this valuable position.”

During Monday’s public hearing more than 40 residents expressed concern about various actions and 25 percent of them begged the legislature not to cut the post. Oliverio said the “Community Affairs Director cares for children and people of all nationalities. Two residents of my town who are of Albanian descent have been helped tremendously by this office. This position is key to the needs of our county today. I am terribly disappointed.”

At the hearing, Patricia Perez, who serves as Community Affairs Director, explained that her office “does not exist in isolation. We are here to assist those in need who have difficulty in understanding the English language.”

Perez said she has assisted newcomers to Putnam County in obtaining driver’s licenses, working papers, and even passports: “We work as a team and have aided people suffering from life-threatening illness, lead poisoning, premature infants, tobacco cessation, and even labor violations where 75 employers last year failed to pay their minority workers a total of $92,000.” Through Perez’s efforts the wages were recouped and were paid to the immigrant workers.

Carol Sohn of Lake Carmel called the Community Affairs Director “irreplaceable,” while Judy Callahan of the Putnam Community Action Program charged “Putnam will set itself back in time instead of moving forward.”

Barbara Ilardi, health educator of the Putnam Health Department, and Health Commissioner Dr. Sherlita Amler both called the position extremely valuable. Ilardi said “public health does not discriminate. Patricia helps our department every day with the minority population and is a valued member of the county’s team.”

The budget line for Bondi’s chief of staff had originally been proposed to be slashed by $37,000, however, at the last minute the legislature voted to eliminate the position altogether by a 7-2 vote with Legislator Oliverio and Legislature Chairman Tony Hay objecting.

Legislator Mary Ellen Odell of Carmel called on the county to “reevaluate the position. The trend of top political appointments must stop.” Legislator Tony Fusco of Mahopac Falls charged the “position had been around for too long. Why can’t this position be combined with the deputy county executive?” Hay scolded his colleagues: “In our history we have never attacked executive appointments nor has the executive ever criticized our appointments.”

Legislator Vincent Tamagna of Nelsonville stood by his vote: “This is good legislative judgment. By the time a person is hired it will be six months before the individual has the lay of the land and understands all of the issues. Why in the final year of the Bondi administration would we want to hire a chief of staff and by the time he or she learns the job, a new executive may be in office and a new administration will lead this county into the future.”

By unanimous votes, the legislators reinstated full funding to the senior centers in Cold Spring, Mahopac, and Patterson. Tamagna called Bondi’s proposal a “terrible suggestion. We did the right thing by keeping the tax rate in check and reinstating programs that were needed.”

The legislature returned about $300,000 to the 2010 budget for senior citizens’ services, including $166,500 for the Cold Spring Center, $97,000 for the Patterson Center, and $36,000 for the Saturday program in Mahopac.

The legislature also restored funding for the Pegasus Program, which is an offshoot of the Youth Bureau and assists children and families in need.

A position of park ranger was saved when the legislature voted to make the county’s two rangers part-time.

The legislature restored all but one of the managerial positions slated for elimination in the Bondi budget but eliminated salary hikes for the managers in 2010. The managers had been slated to receive 4 percent increases in their salaries.

Two public health engineers were also saved from the chopping block when the lawmakers voted unanimously to create public health technician positions and reduce salaries from $99,000 to $60,000. Hay described his colleagues’ actions as “prudent, since the two positions generate 65 percent in grant money.”

The legislature managed to save 9 of 13 CSEA positions that had been slated for elimination. Chairman Hay described cuts as “unpleasant, but the public is being stretched to the maximum when it comes to tax dollars. We have to cut. I feel terrible for dedicated employees like a plumber and a secretary. Unfortunately cuts have to be made. Departments were asked who could be eliminated. Names were submitted and they were removed.”

When asked if any surprises would be forthcoming next week, Hay replied: “We will finally wrap this up. There is some talk about insurance costs but without hearing from the professionals decisions can’t be made.”

Tuesday’s meeting will be held at the historic Putnam Courthouse at 6:30pm.