Deteriorating Fiscal Stress
29/09/15 08:59
On September 24 the Daily Freeman posted that the New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli's office has rated the town of Saugerties as being in "moderate fiscal stress." This annual rating which is to be used as a guide for municipalities for financial planning is the third annual report which began in 2013. The Saugerties fiscal stress rating places the town in the second highest rating of fiscal concern and among 11 municipalities out of 1600+ which were reviewed by the Comptroller’s office. In all only 43 local governments showed some sign of fiscal stress.
The most disturbing information in the report is the annual increase in Saugerties' rating, taking us from 44.2 to 60.8% over a three year period and a projection of 68%, the highest rating of fiscal stress, for the current year.
According to the Freeman, Town of Saugerties supervisor Greg Helsmoortel's response to this report is that he does "not agree with their methodology." But what has Mr. Helsmoortel done to investigate their methodology or implement an intervention in order to improve the town's fiscal status? His response is lackadaisical and troubling to those of us who care about the future of our town and our ability to afford to remain in Saugerties.
As a concerned , active and lifelong citizen in the town of Saugerties I attend almost all Town board meetings. I have witnessed , spoken against and even formed organizations opposing the town board's decisions that increase town expenditures and liabilities which will be paid in one form or another by the taxpayers. Unfortunately these concerns seem to fall on deaf ears.
This is the primary reason that I am running for town supervisor on election day, November 3. We are all paying for the poor management of this current administration's loose spending and poor choices. Together we can replace th e town supervisor and the board members which have been in office for 12-16 years . This crew has placed a financial yoke around Saugerties and a strangle hold of regulations preventing any substantial growth. Together we can replace it with a team which applies solutions for fiscal solvency for the betterment of town government and Saugerties residents. You can choose the new team on Row C. Give Change a Chance.
Gaetana Ciarlante, Vice-Chairman
*** Details of the fiscal report along with links to detailed references can be found at
http://www.lohud.com/story/news/politics/albany-watch/2015/09/23/ny-comptroller-fiscal-stress-list/72673404/
The most disturbing information in the report is the annual increase in Saugerties' rating, taking us from 44.2 to 60.8% over a three year period and a projection of 68%, the highest rating of fiscal stress, for the current year.
According to the Freeman, Town of Saugerties supervisor Greg Helsmoortel's response to this report is that he does "not agree with their methodology." But what has Mr. Helsmoortel done to investigate their methodology or implement an intervention in order to improve the town's fiscal status? His response is lackadaisical and troubling to those of us who care about the future of our town and our ability to afford to remain in Saugerties.
As a concerned , active and lifelong citizen in the town of Saugerties I attend almost all Town board meetings. I have witnessed , spoken against and even formed organizations opposing the town board's decisions that increase town expenditures and liabilities which will be paid in one form or another by the taxpayers. Unfortunately these concerns seem to fall on deaf ears.
This is the primary reason that I am running for town supervisor on election day, November 3. We are all paying for the poor management of this current administration's loose spending and poor choices. Together we can replace th e town supervisor and the board members which have been in office for 12-16 years . This crew has placed a financial yoke around Saugerties and a strangle hold of regulations preventing any substantial growth. Together we can replace it with a team which applies solutions for fiscal solvency for the betterment of town government and Saugerties residents. You can choose the new team on Row C. Give Change a Chance.
Gaetana Ciarlante, Vice-Chairman
*** Details of the fiscal report along with links to detailed references can be found at
http://www.lohud.com/story/news/politics/albany-watch/2015/09/23/ny-comptroller-fiscal-stress-list/72673404/