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County Legislator Bob DeMore meets with County Executive Joannie Mahoney to sign into law the Cold War Veterans Exemption which Bob sponsored in the County Legislature.

It’s hard to believe that I’ve completed one year as the County Legislator for the 12^th Legislative District.  I’ve enjoyed working with the residents in the District, and I’d like to report on some of what has taken place over the past year.  

A new interoperable radio system has been started through the County in cooperation with the various local fire departments.  This process will cost approximately 35 million dollars.  What it does is replace the current communication system which is outdated and, on occasion, ineffective. The above price includes the cost of new towers which have now been completed and the purchase of new radios for the departments.  This system will eliminate a lot of the “dead zones” that existed and facilitate better communication between the departments and the County. 

In order to pay for this system, we’ve asked the State to put a small surcharge on landlines which would amount to approximately $.70± per month for each line.  This measure passed in the State Assembly and the State Senate but was vetoed by the Governor.  The County has resubmitted this request to Albany. 

This year the County entered into new snowplow agreements with the towns and villages, and that process went very smoothly.  The price per mile was raised to $5,348, and the towns and villages plow approximately 303.15 miles of County road. This is an example of a shared service which makes for a more efficient government.

This past year I asked the State Legislature to change a part of the volunteer fireman’s law to allow volunteers who live in one town but volunteer in another to receive the property tax exemption.  Currently, firefighters have to volunteer in the town in which they live in order to receive that exemption.  I’ve also supported a bill pending in Albany which would allow firefighters to receive both the property tax exemption and the $200.00 New York State tax credit.  Both of these measures are currently stalled in Albany.  Without our volunteer fire departments, many of the towns in the County would find it difficult to provide fire and ambulance coverage.

This past summer I was appointed Chair of the County Legislature’s Veterans Advisory Committee. This past December, by a unanimous bipartisan vote at the recommendation of the committee, civil service fees were waived for those who have served in the armed forces.

The County Legislature also approved of the Clay police merger which is another example of shared or smart form of modern government.

This past fall the County Legislature approved the measure to allow the covering of the eastern and western reservoirs as required by the EPA.  The Onondaga County Water Authority will handle this project which will cost approximately 50 million dollars and will be paid for by those who use the water.  The good news is that the County water system is only at 50% capacity for water usage; this will no doubt prove to be a great asset for us in the future.

This past year it came to my attention that there was a problem with water pressure in a part of Nedrow which is a Hamlet in the Town of Onondaga.  Specifically, on the east side of Salina Street at night the water pressure was very low which was a problem for both residents and for the firefighters.  I worked with the Metropolitan Water Board, the City of Syracuse, and OCWA to rearrange the South Branch System so that the water pressure in Nedrow is now more than adequate to meet their needs.  This process also resulted in an additional benefit: an old agreement between the City and County, which covered the South Branch Distribution System, was reworked which benefited both the City and the County and the residents of the area.

Also, I was asked to chair the charter revision committee to look at the Onondaga County Charter, which is the governing body for the County.  This charter has not been updated in many years, and we are in the process of putting together a commission to review the current charter and make recommendation to improve and update it.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me either by email at rdemore@cnymail.com or by phone at 315/683-5655