| Welcome to the City of Johnstown ....we are more than just a city, we are a community of neighbors. |
 |
|
|
|
2010-Chamber Breakfast Speech delivered by Mayor Sarah J. Slingerland Good morning chamber members and guests. It is an honor for me to be speaking on behalf of the city and I would like to thank Wally Hart for the invitation to do so. Little did I know, that things like this would happen, when in 1972 Wally was one of my students at Knox Jr. High School. I might add, however, that leadership potential was evident in Wally’s personality even as a teenager. Let me start today by offering a few relevant Johnstown facts:
I am pleased to report this morning that growth in the city is still happening largely due to business expansion, newly created businesses and industrial growth. There is no doubt that the business community is a substantial engine for the success of our community. In the last four years our total taxable assessed value increased by about 50 million. This is a critical statistic for a city because the total assessed value determines taxing and borrowing limits and rates. No city can manage its ever increasing expenses without reasonable growth. However, the growth must be smart and well thought out and legislators must have a clear sense of vision and purpose along with a good deal of courage to make decisions that are in the best interest of the taxpayers who elected them. Decisions should never be self -serving or unfairly determined by special interest groups or individuals. As a community we have tackled the future of our city by first rewriting our charter followed by a new comprehensive plan and are now engaged in the final stages of creating new zoning laws. The difficult decisions we face here in Johnstown and around Fulton County are not unique to us alone. They are more often the norm rather than the exception. Even diverse opinions about the expansion and use of water and sewer systems are intensely debated topics around NYS, the country and the probably the world. I have been investigating and thinking about the ideas in this binder for quite a long time. In my chamber speech in 2006 I mentioned that Johnstown was fiscally sound but we should continually give consideration to joint ventures and shared services. No responsible civic leader should rule out inter-municipal shared services options. Most recently I have been researching and collecting printed materials in this binder with the end goal of finding ways to become more efficient. The word “consolidation” is often heard in local discussion as the panacea for all problems. I see consolidation as a means to an end. The real end goal should be for enhanced efficiency which would allow for tax rate reduction or at least stabilization. The “c” word has incredible connotation for many people and I will generally avoid using it so as not to elicit unnecessary negative community reaction either for or against future discussions or decisions. As a matter of fact, NYS is referring to enhanced shared services as “efficiency” measures. I believe that our first line of attack for efficiency beyond what we are doing internally or already doing with other municipal governments is to look closely at the issue with our sister city Gloversville simply because we have so much in common. We understand the distribution of water, jointly own the sewer plant, provide fire and police services in much the same way, are governed by the same NYS regulations, depend on similar revenue streams, etc. At this point I would advocate for the joining of legislative bodies because merging departments would only add to multiple layers of government with oversight boards thus leading to bigger government and less efficiency. For example, just combining fire or police departments may actually be counter productive in terms of efficiency because a governing board would have to be created as a sub set of the city governments. Every problem municipalities face are very, very complex. Generalizations and simple solutions are often heard in the community but only by a thorough and comprehensive investigation of efficiency can we begin to find ways to make our government more affordable while still maintaining what we like best about where we live. Consequently, I am hopeful that in the next year we can partner with Gloversville in applying for a “planning study” grant as outlined in this binder to find more efficient ways of combining our strengths while minimizing our liabilities. Two other points I really need to emphasize are:
1. Significant
changes to Johnstown would have to be presented and passed by referendum. In
other words, the ultimate 2. Increased efficiency is desirable, but the revenue side of the equation must also be aggressively pursued. To make bold and effective policy changes the right climate, personalities, and timing must exist. I think with the new leadership that now exits in Gloversville we are close to that time. However, in my mind it is only fair to let Dayton and his team take as much time as they need before we pursue such a major undertaking. In conclusion, I would like to emphasize the following two points:
I look forward to working with Dayton and his council. Dayton and I have already met multiple times and had several conversations to address the complexity of government leadership and issues. Please know that I am available in my city hall office most weekday mornings and if I am not there when you call or visit, please leave a message and I will make an honest effort to get back to you. Important reference web sites:
|
