I wish to say goodbye and best wishes to Dr. Rus Jeffery of the Dick & Rus Morning show on 1420 WACK AM radio. He has accepted a position back home in Ontario, Canada to manage a radio station. Dr. Rus has been interviewing me regarding county issues on his radio show on the third Friday of each month for the past five years. I will miss the typically positive discussion of Wayne County issues.
On Nov. 12, Galen Supervisor Steve Groat; Director of Economic Development and Planning, Bob McNary; Executive Director of the Wayne County Industrial Development Agency (IDA) Peg Churchill and I, along with several hundred others, attended an announcement made jointly by Parker Aerospace and GE Aviation of plans to increase the manufacturing of commercial aircraft engine fuel nozzles at the Parker facility in Clyde. Up to 300 more jobs are anticipated to be created. This is great news!
On Nov. 15, Bob McNary, Peg Churchill and I attended the second meeting of the Finger Lakes Regional Sustainability Plan Consortium. This is nine-county initiative to develop an implementation plan for the region that promotes both economic development and renewable energy. There will be public meetings next year. More information will follow and can also be obtained at www.sustainable-fingerlakes.org.
County Administrator Jim Marquette presented the tentative 2013 Wayne County budget at the November Board of Supervisors meeting. Unlike recent years where the County tax rate and spending were kept relatively flat, this budget proposes an increase of 22 cents per thousand dollars of assessed value and the elimination of 30.5 full-time positions. The proposed 2013 budget does not exceed the tax cap. However, as a precautionary measure, the Board of Supervisor passed a resolution permitting an override of the tax cap in case there is a change in interpretation of current guidelines used to compute the cap.
The increase in tax rate is due to the increasing cost of state mandates, programs required by state law funded with local property tax. The cost of these mandates for 2013 exceeds the tax levy, the amount of taxes actually raised to support the 2013 budget.
The public hearing for the 2013 Budget was on Tuesday, Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. in the Supervisors’ Chambers at the Old Court House in Lyons.
On Nov. 16, I was voted in as 1st Vice President of the Inter-County Western Association of New York (Inter-County). Inter-County is an association of the 19 westernmost counties in New York which meet monthly to discuss issues of mutual interest. I have found the exchange of ideas and relationships made with other county officials to be valuable.
I wish to say goodbye and best wishes to Dr. Rus Jeffery of the Dick & Rus Morning show on 1420 WACK AM radio. He has accepted a position back home in Ontario, Canada to manage a radio station. Dr. Rus has been interviewing me regarding county issues on his radio show on the third Friday of each month for the past five years. I will miss the typically positive discussion of Wayne County issues.
On Nov. 12, Galen Supervisor Steve Groat; Director of Economic Development and Planning, Bob McNary; Executive Director of the Wayne County Industrial Development Agency (IDA) Peg Churchill and I, along with several hundred others, attended an announcement made jointly by Parker Aerospace and GE Aviation of plans to increase the manufacturing of commercial aircraft engine fuel nozzles at the Parker facility in Clyde. Up to 300 more jobs are anticipated to be created. This is great news!
On Nov. 15, Bob McNary, Peg Churchill and I attended the second meeting of the Finger Lakes Regional Sustainability Plan Consortium. This is nine-county initiative to develop an implementation plan for the region that promotes both economic development and renewable energy. There will be public meetings next year. More information will follow and can also be obtained at www.sustainable-fingerlakes.org.
County Administrator Jim Marquette presented the tentative 2013 Wayne County budget at the November Board of Supervisors meeting. Unlike recent years where the County tax rate and spending were kept relatively flat, this budget proposes an increase of 22 cents per thousand dollars of assessed value and the elimination of 30.5 full-time positions. The proposed 2013 budget does not exceed the tax cap. However, as a precautionary measure, the Board of Supervisor passed a resolution permitting an override of the tax cap in case there is a change in interpretation of current guidelines used to compute the cap.
The increase in tax rate is due to the increasing cost of state mandates, programs required by state law funded with local property tax. The cost of these mandates for 2013 exceeds the tax levy, the amount of taxes actually raised to support the 2013 budget.
The public hearing for the 2013 Budget was on Tuesday, Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. in the Supervisors’ Chambers at the Old Court House in Lyons.
On Nov. 16, I was voted in as 1st Vice President of the Inter-County Western Association of New York (Inter-County). Inter-County is an association of the 19 westernmost counties in New York which meet monthly to discuss issues of mutual interest. I have found the exchange of ideas and relationships made with other county officials to be valuable.
It has been an honor to serve the citizens of Wayne County another year as Chairman of the Board of Supervisors. I wish to thank my fellow Supervisors for electing me to this position. As I have stated in past years the members of the Wayne County workforce are on the front lines, delivering essential services everyday. Elected officials, department heads and the workforce working together have made possible the recent accomplishments of Wayne County government. Working together will continue to be most important to meeting the financial challenges anticipated in the next few years.
The last County Board meeting scheduled for 2012 will be on Tuesday, Dec. 18 at 9 a.m.
Best wishes for a happy holiday season. May you enjoy good health, happiness and peace in 2013!
