At the April session of the County Legislature, I sponsored a supporting resolution backing legislation pending in Albany regarding our volunteer fire departments.  At my request, the State Senate and the Assembly are in the process of passing legislation which will allow firefighters, who volunteer in neighboring towns, to receive the property tax exemption.  Also pending in the Legislature is a law which will allow firefighters to receive both the property tax exemption and the $200.00 New York State tax credit simultaneously.   

Our towns and villages rely heavily on our volunteer firefighters and ambulance service personnel to service our communities; without them, our towns and villages would be in great jeopardy. 

I also worked with the Metropolitan Water Board, Onondaga County Water Authority and the City of Syracuse to bring increased water pressure to the Nedrow Community.  In 2007 I was able to help secure a grant for the Nedrow area to bring extra water from the South Branch system. This resulted in the need for negotiations between the City, which supplies Nedrow; OCWA, which manages the system; and Metro, which owns the South Branch systems, to come together.  At this time, the negotiations are still pending, but I’ve been assured that the Nedrow community will receive the increased water pressure which is needed for an adequate water supply in that community.   

At a recent Planning and Economic Development Committee meeting a proposal was submitted to finalize the construction of the Convention Center hotel across from the Convention Center on South State Street.  A new owner, Weston Hotels, is involved, and they’re requesting that the Onondaga County Industrial Development Agency join in a limited partnership with them for part of the financing.   The Convention Center has been a great success, but there is a need to have a hotel connected to it.  Hopefully, if this new financing arrangement is in place, construction will start sometime this summer.  Like any other contract, the devil is in the detail and this new arrangement will need to be closely scrutinized.