Statewide Cost-Saving Forum Held in Carmel
With the nation and state in the midst of a slow recovery and local municipalities further challenged by the state-imposed tax cap, Ulster County Executive Mike Hein is leading a task force to identify innovative ideas being employed in communities throughout New York State.
Hein kicked off his initiative, called PAYGo NY, in Putnam County on Tuesday, as the first forum was held at Cornerstone Park in Carmel.
“We will be able to bring forward hopefully actable legislation to eliminate some of those regulatory and bureaucratic hurdles standing in the way of the kinds of great ideas that are out there in our communities,” Hein said at a press conference before the forum. “What you hopefully are going to see, not just here but across the state of New York, is this idea of designing and creating and discussing some of the most innovative ideas in government and then looking towards replicating them.”
Hein was joined by several town and county officials from Putnam, including County Executive MaryEllen Odell and District Attorney Adam Levy.
“Here in Putnam County we have been working very hard in trying to find some efficiencies and create some new initiatives that will lower taxes and at the same time, as the county executive mentioned, still fight Albany with the crushing burden of unfunded mandates,” Odell said. “We’re going to walk into that room and bring to the table some of our experiences and some of our initiatives.”
Odell mentioned a 10-day sales tax holiday in August for back-to-school clothing as one thing Putnam has done to help local residents and businesses.
Hein said Odell, a Republican, understood the importance of innovation and called the initiative bi-partisan.
“It’s irrelevant to me whether the great idea comes from Democrats or Republicans,” he said. “What I care about is that we bring forward innovative solutions that can make a difference.”
Also attending Tuesday’s forum were Putnam Valley Supervisor Bob Tendy, Carmel Supervisor Ken Schmitt and New York State Association of Counties (NYSAC) Finance Director Dave Lucas.
