State of the County "sound," but warning signs ahead
Story Created:
Mar 3, 2010 at 11:27 AM EST
Story Updated:
Mar 3, 2010 at 1:03 PM EST
UTICA, N.Y. (WKTV) - Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente says that the current fiscal problems at the state and federal level are an important warning sign for the county to take control of its future.
Picente told a room full of people at the Radisson Hotel on Wednesday morning that government can not operate today as it did 10 or 20 years ago. There is too little efficiency and too much waste, Picente said. He believes one way to fix that issue is consolidation.
According to the County Executive, consolidation of the 911 center would put more Utica police officers on the streets and save the Town of New Hartford money. Picente said that other county goals for the coming year are eliminating the duplicate services in the public works department and reducing the taxpayer's costs of public safety in Whitestown.
Aside from consolidation, Picente said negotiations need to pick back up with the Oneida Indian Nation.
"A golden opportunity was simply dropped and forgotten," he said. "The region is struggling and the Oneidas are moving on."
The Whitestown Business Park is just one place the county is committed to developing itself to its full potential, Picente said in regards to economic development.
To achieve the plans outlined, both Picente and Oneida County Legislative Minority Leader Patricia Hudak (D) said there must be cooperation among elected representatives.
"Lets stop with the headlines and lets go to work,"Hudak said. "Let's work together. The people deserve it. Small businesses deserve it. Families out there deserve it."
Some positive news outlined in the speech was the county's credit rating. The rating will become important in the future with major repairs needed to the Sauquoit Creek. Picente announced that an investor's service company calls the county's financial reserve "adequate."
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