County & City Representatives Denounce Brooks Lead Inspection Cut

Rochester, New York – November 1, 2011.  Democrats in the County Legislature today joined with Rochester City Council members to denounce County Executive Maggie Brooks proposed 2012 budget, which would cut hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding for the lead poisoning prevention program. 

The proposed cuts will undoubtedly have a negative impact on lead levels amongst children in the city, who have for several years been making progress in their fight against lead poisoning. On top of this year’s funding cuts, the Brooks Administration in recent years has also cut funding for downtown police patrols, charged city residents more per capita than any other municipality to fund Monroe Community College and eliminated all funding for the Alternative to Incarceration program. 

Democratic Legislator Steve Eckel (D-Rochester, Gates), said, “We implore the County Executive to reverse her decision to cut this important quality of life funding. If allowed to go through, we will undoubtedly see an increase in the number of children in our community suffering from lead poisoning and that is simply unacceptable.” 

Lead poisoning can bring about many serious medical ailments, including learning disabilities, depression, short-term memory loss, slurred speech and anemia. These cuts will force the City to reduce the number of lead inspectors by at least twenty-five percent. 

Rochester City Council President Lovely Warren (D-Rochester), said, “Instead of cutting funding for this critically important service, we need to be continuing to build on the progress we’ve made in recent years in the fight against lead poisoning. These proposed cuts will only take us backwards, and that means that children in our community will be needlessly exposed to this poison. Simply put, we cannot allow these cuts to stand.” 

On December 13, when the Legislature considers the budget, Democratic County Legislators will offer an amendment to restore the $440,000 in lead funding cut by County Executive Brooks.

Brooks Budget Fails Taxpayers, Does Not Solve Long-Term Problems

Rochester, New York – October 27, 2011.  Democrats in the County Legislature today offered their preliminary response to County Executive Brooks proposed 2012 Budget, calling it a laughable piece of fiction that fails to solve the County’s long-term budget problems. 

Democratic Leader Ted O’Brien (D-Irondequoit), said, “This budget is nothing but pure fiction. It is supposedly balanced, but in reality it does nothing more than kick the can down the road. It relies on revenues which we know will never be realized, and it underestimates or simply ignores expenses which we know will have to be paid.” 

Democratic Legislator Paul Haney (D-Rochester, Brighton), said, “While this budget certainly makes for a nice campaign document, it does nothing to serve the taxpayers we were elected to represent. With the highest property taxes in the country, we were certainly hopeful that the County Executive would offer some type of true reforms, but clearly that hasn’t happened.” 

This budget relies on revenue from the sale of County owned buildings which were supposed to have been sold to balance the 2011 budget and the sale of more than $30 million in tax liens—both one-shot funding sources which, if realized, will not recur in future years. 

“We still have the second worst credit rating of any county in this state, and the reality is that this budget continues the trend of raising the tax levy, now up by 26% during the County Executive’s time in office. In that same time period, the county services chargeback—another form of property taxes—is up by 245%. Clearly, the County Executive is lying every time she claims to have kept taxes flat,” Haney added.

 

Democrats Support AG Schneiderman’s Investigation into Mortgage Crisis

Rochester, New York – October 24, 2011.  Democrats in the County Legislature have submitted a resolution supporting Attorney General Eric Schneiderman’s efforts to continue to investigate the financial meltdown and mortgage crisis of 2008 and obtain a settlement that  holds those responsible accountable and provides meaningful relief for struggling homeowners. Currently all 50 state attorneys general are in negotiations with major financial institutions for their roles in the crisis, including the “robo-signing” scandal, where mortgage documents were fraudulently signed in an effort to speed up foreclosure processes that removed millions of people from their homes. From 2007 to 2009, 7,800 homes in Monroe County were foreclosed upon.

Democratic Legislator C. Stephen Eckel (D-Rochester, Gates, Greece, Irondequoit), who sponsored the resolution, stated, “The 50 State Attorneys General Taskforce was originally convened to investigate the fraud associated with the robo-signing and housing crisis scandal; not to create protections for banks from future litigation brought on by misconduct. The proposed settlement, which could undermine the Attorney General’s discretion under the New York State Martin Act, does not serve the people of our state, but serves the Wall Street banks that have been central to the nation’s economic woes of the past three years.”

The resolution calls on all members of the Monroe County Legislature to support New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman’s right to preserve our state's powers of investigation into mortgage packaging practices of several major banks, and calls on state attorneys general to not agree to any settlement that precludes the ability of New York’s Attorney General, or any other state’s Attorney General, from following the facts where they lead and hold banks and other financial institutions accountable for any misconduct they may have engaged in during the mortgage origination, aggregation and securitization processes.

Democrats are hopeful to receive support from the Republican Majority Caucus on this resolution, to demonstrate the County’s complete and bipartisan support of taxpayers and homeowners not only in Monroe County, but across New York State and the entire country.

Please find the resolution HERE.

 

At UTC Board Meeting, Democrats Continue to Push for Answers

Rochester, New York – October 20, 2011.  Democrats in the County Legislature attended a meeting of the Upstate Telecommunications Corporation (UTC) Board this morning to demand answers to the questions they have asked about the UTC contract with Monroe County. In recent weeks, Legislature Democrats have sent letters to the Brooks Administration, the UTC Board, and Special Counsel to County Executive Brooks, Bill Taylor.

Thus far, all inquiries into the formation of UTC and requests for pertinent documents have gone unanswered. Legislators spoke outside of the Watts Office Building, just before the quarterly scheduled UTC board meeting.

Democratic Legislator Paul Haney (D-Rochester), said, “The documents we have requested relate directly to how this sweetheart deal was set up, who took part, and who benefitted. We’re talking about a $100 million contract using taxpayer money that, according to the State Comptroller, was approved on false pretenses and has wasted millions of dollars. If County Executive Brooks is at all interested in open government and transparency, she and her operatives will quickly and thoroughly answer all the questions we have asked.”

Democratic Legislator Vincent Esposito (D-Irondequoit), said, “It is imperative that the public get answers to these serious questions of wasted tax dollars and possible bid rigging. We simply cannot stand idly by while County Executive Brooks stonewalls any meaningful public inquiry into this matter. And that’s exactly why we’re here today; to try to get answers for the taxpayers of our community.”

Democrats intend on asking the following questions, among others, of the UTC board:

• Who was Michael Townsend working for when he filed the incorporation papers for UTC?
• Did the original board—with Judge Vincent Dinolfo, Ken Pink and Townsend as members—ever meet? If not, what is the legitimacy of successor boards like the one meeting today?
• Why haven’t we received a response to our letter dated October 5?
• Given the apparent improprieties alleged in the Comptroller’s audit, do you intend to suspend your business relationships with Mr. Mackey and Mr. Townsend pending the outcome of the Attorney General’s investigation?

 

Democrats Demand Debate on Home Improvement Tax Relief

Rochester, New York – October 19, 2011.  Democrats in the County Legislature have again submitted a proposal offering residential property homeowners an exemption from property taxes when homeowners make improvements that increase the assessed value of their properties. The proposal will encourage improvement to the housing stock in the County while allowing qualified homeowners to not suffer the adverse impact of increased taxes resulting from an increase in the property’s assessed value.

Thus far, Republicans have refused to even allow debate on the proposal. Nonetheless, Democrats feel the issue is important enough to continue press on.

Democratic Legislator Richard Beebe (D-Greece), sponsor of the tax relief legislation, said, “This proposal will provide homeowners an opportunity to increase the value of their property through improvements without having to be penalized by increased county property taxes. Under this proposal, local residents will be allowed to add value to their homes while at the same time receiving much needed property tax relief.”

Democratic Legislator Vincent Esposito (D-Irondequoit), said, “I’m very proud to offer support this important legislation. By enacting this law, we will allow residents to improve their properties without immediate tax penalties and we encourage job growth in the construction industry—all at no cost to taxpayers. This legislation is a no-brainer. It’s time for our Republican colleagues to stop playing politics and start acting in their constituent’s best interests.”

The President of the Legislature, Jeff Adair, previously refused to allow this legislation to go to committee for consideration. Undeterred, Democrats are using procedural maneuvers in an attempt to force the legislation’s introduction to a committee.

Please find the proposal attached.

 

GOP Obstructs Job Creation, Tax Relief and Oversight

Rochester, New York – October 12, 2011:  Democrats in the Monroe County Legislature are denouncing their Republican colleagues for obstructing a vote on three proposals. The proposals were blocked from committee consideration by Republicans in the Legislature, who are abusing the rules to prevent their members from having to vote on matters of critical importance to our community.

The first proposal would have created a legislative panel with subpoena power to investigate the awarding of an IT contract to a local development company, UTC, which resulted in $8 million of taxpayer funds having been wasted, and potential conflicts of interest in the awarding of a $100 million contract.  A recently completed audit by the NYS Comptroller’s Office has led to serious questions about how the local development corporation was originally incorporated, why the awarding of the contract was rigged to benefit UTC, and why closely connected political insiders were allowed to benefit personally from the use of the local development company model. View the proposal HERE.

The second proposal would have provided homeowners with tax breaks for improvements made to their residential properties. The law would exempt the assessed value of the improvements from the homeowner’s tax bill over a period of eight years. The proposal would be an incentive for homeowners to choose to improve their homes, and get a break from the resulting property tax assessment increase for a period of time - resulting in improved housing, and local job creation – without diminishing currently collected tax revenues. View the proposal HERE.

The third proposal would have updated the County’s Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP), which has not been updated since 1979—when Kodak still had 60,000 employees and personal computers were just a concept. The CDP is supposed to guide all development in the county, including transportation systems, housing and economic development, among other things. Updating the plan is long overdue. View the proposal HERE.

Democratic Legislator Dick Beebe (D-Greece), the sponsor of the property tax break legislation, said, “This is a flagrant abuse of the democratic process. Here we have proposed critically important legislation to reduce taxes, create jobs and increase oversight of public funds, only to find our Republican colleagues obstructing us every step of the way. We have great ideas for improving this County, but they just can’t seem to bring themselves to see that. They can’t even admit there’s a problem. That is certainly evidence of a truly broken County government—a broken government which we absolutely must come together to fix.”

Democratic Legislator Vincent Esposito (D-Irondequoit) said, “This is just the latest example of these Republican officials abusing the democratic process. It is outragous that they operate in a way that prevents elected officials from even introducing legislation. Nonetheless, my Democratic colleagues and I will continue our push to reform this broken process.”

Democrats Propose Residential Property Improvement Tax Relief

Rochester, New York – October 10, 2011.  Democrats in the County Legislature today submitted a proposal offering residential property homeowners an exemption from property taxes when homeowners make improvements that increase the assessed value of their properties. The proposal will encourage improvement to the housing stock in the County while allowing qualified homeowners to not suffer the adverse impact of increased taxes resulting from an increase in the property’s assessed value. A second Democratic proposal calls for the update of the County’s Comprehensive Development plan, which has not been updated in nearly three decades.

Democratic Legislator Richard Beebe (D-Greece), sponsor of the tax relief legislation, said, “This proposal will provide homeowners an opportunity to increase the value of their property through improvements without having to be penalized by increased county property taxes. Under this proposal, local residents will be allowed to add value to their homes while at the same time receiving much needed property tax relief.” View his proposal HERE.

Democratic Legislator Steve Eckel (D-Rochester, Gates & Greece), the sponsor of the Comprehensive Development Plan legislation, said, “I’m very proud to offer this important legislation, which I hope can serve as a starting point toward real economic growth and job creation in our region. For far too long, this County has simply shuffled jobs around, but with this plan we hope to provide a framework for long-term, sustainable growth through regional planning.” View his proposal HERE.

Both proposals are now before Jeff Adair, President of the Legislature, who will decide whether to allow them to proceed to a vote.

Democrats Call for Legislative Investigation of UTC

Rochester, New York – October 6, 2011:  Democrats in the Monroe County Legislature have proposed a Legislative investigation into the Upstate Telecommunications Corporation (UTC) scandal. According to the New York State Comptroller’s Office, UTC was paid  $8 million more than was warranted; the bidding for the $100 million County contract was potentially rigged; and the sale of County assets that were not “surplus”, apparently violated  the law.

Legislator Paul Haney (D-Rochester), the sponsor of the proposal, said, “It is critically important that we get to the bottom of this scandal so taxpayers can be assured their money is not being wasted. Breaking the law to benefit political cronies is something that we must not tolerate in this County government, and this proposed legislative investigation would go a long way towards ensuring appropriate oversight of tax dollars.”

The proposal would create a special committee of County Legislators and charge them with investigating the strange circumstances surrounding the creation of UTC; determining whether the bidding process on the County’s RFP for telecommunication services was fair and legitimate; and whether any tax payer dollars were wasted. It would also recommend actions to ensure that such problems never occur again. The committee would have the power to subpoena witnesses and documents, if necessary.

The proposal now goes to Jeff Adair, President of the Monroe County Legislature, who will decide whether to allow it to come up for a vote.

Please find the proposal HERE.

Democrats Call on UTC to Cancel Contract with Townsend and Mackey: Demand Answers from Special Counsel

Rochester, New York – October 5, 2011:  Democrats in the Monroe County Legislature have today called on the UTC Board of Directors to suspend their contracts with former Deputy County Executive Dick Mackey and local attorney Michael Townsend until the Attorney General’s investigation is complete. Also, Democrats have submitted a Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request to the UTC FOIL Officer, who ironically is Dick Mackey, seeking several documents related to this scandal.

In response to revelations that the original UTC Board of Directors may have never legally met and therefore never adopted by-laws, Democrats have also asked the County Executive’s Special Counsel, William Taylor, and the County Attorney, David Van Varick, for an opinion regarding the legality of the County Executive’s appointments to the UTC board and whether the $100 million contract between UTC and the County are legal.

Legislator Paul Haney (D-Rochester), the author of the letters, said, “The revelation that Judge Vincent Dinolfo never knew he was on the UTC is quite disturbing. This is even more troubling in light of Kenneth Pink’s assertion that he never voted on anything for the UTC board. If true, these allegations may show that the contract between Monroe County and UTC is not valid.

Democrats are seeking answers to their questions by October 19.

“We are especially troubled by the potential for wrongdoing involving Michael Townsend and the appearance of a revolving door between contractors and Monroe County with Dick Mackey. Until their involvement in this scandal is cleared up, the UTC board should immediately suspend their contracts to ensure no further public funds are wasted,” Haney added.

These revelations follow a New York State Comptroller’s audit which found that $8 million in taxpayer money was wasted and the bid for the $100 million UTC contract was potentially rigged.

Please find the letters HERE. 

Democrats Demand Answers On UTC Audit

Rochester, New York – September 29, 2011:  Democrats in the Monroe County Legislature have sent a letter to the Brooks Administration requesting various documents related to the State audit of a Local Development Corporation named Upstate Telecommunications Corporation (UTC). The audit revealed serious lapses in financial oversight, as well as improprieties in the process of awarding a nearly $100 million contract to UTC.

“This request for information seeks to answer some very basic questions about this situation: how much taxpayer money has been wasted and was the bidding process rigged for this $100 million contract?” Democratic Legislator Paul Haney said. “Based on the documentation available to date, it seems clear that the Brooks Administration may have provided inappropriate information to one of the bidders for this project. We’re asking Brooks to release all the information we’re requesting so the public can know what really took place. To simply dismiss these serious issues as ‘political’ does little to address the public’s growing concerns about integrity in County government.”

Democrats are requesting all documentation and communications regarding the formation and incorporation of UTC. As detailed in the Comptroller’s audit, UTC was established before the County even issued a Request for Proposals (RFP), which leads to questions about whether the winning bidder, Siemens Building Technologies, had inside information not available to the other 18 bidding companies.

The Comptroller’s audit says that the County established UTC, but according to some accounts, the County claims Siemens established UTC. If the County established it, then someone at the County may have told Siemens to submit a bid that included the use of UTC, which only they did. If Siemens established UTC, then someone at the County may have told Siemens that this RFP was going to be issued soon and what to include in their proposal in order to beat the other bidders. Either situation raises troubling questions about bid rigging and favoritism.

Democrats were joined by New York State Assemblyman Joseph Morelle who has sponsored legislation to reform Local Development Corporations.

View the Letter to the Brooks Administration HERE and the complied documentation of the UTC-LDC/County IT Bid-Letting Process HERE.

Democrats Propose More Oversight of LDCs

Rochester, New York – September 22, 2011:  Democrats in the Monroe County Legislature have introduced a proposal to increase legislative oversight of Local Development Corporations, which have recently become the focus of several significant scandals in Monroe County and across the state. Please see the end of this release for information regarding a media availability later this afternoon. 

Legislator Dick Beebe (D-Greece), the sponsor of the proposal, said “These reforms will go a long way toward ensuring taxpayers get what they paid for. Time and again we’ve been told not to worry, everything is fine, but that’s just not good enough anymore. If they have nothing to hide, the County Executive and Republicans in the Legislature should have no problem allowing legislative approval of amendments to county contracts with local development corporations. Such approvals are the most basic oversight that needs to be required of these shadowy entities.” 

Under current practice, the County Executive can establish a Local Development Corporation which can then borrow tens of millions of dollars for public projects with no real oversight. Contracts with LDCs can also currently be amended with no legislative involvement or notice. 

There are many LDCs in Monroe County, including the Upstate Telecommunications Corporation (UTC) LDC which was recently the subject of a scathing draft audit by the New York State Comptroller. The draft audit alleged that the Brooks’ Administration has failed to properly oversee the County’s contract with UTC, resulting in $8 million having been squandered, and it raised questions about possible bid rigging, among other things. 

Another LDC, known as M3S, is currently the subject of a joint investigation by the New York State Attorney General and the New York State Comptroller. 

“The time for us to act is now, before another LDC is set up. These reforms will be useful tools for this legislature and, more importantly, for future legislators who will need all the information they can get. This is a long-term solution to a foreseeable problem and we shouldn’t pass this opportunity up,” Beebe added.

Please find the proposal HERE.

 

Democratic Legislation Seeks to Restore Budget Submission Date

Rochester, New York – September 15, 2011.  Democrats in the County Legislature have submitted legislation that would restore the date upon which the County Executive must submit the annual budget to the Legislature and are calling for the proposed budget to be released as soon as possible. Please see the bottom of this release for details about a media availability later this afternoon.

In September 2006, after a failed attempt in 2004, Republicans moved the budget submission date from mid-October to November 15, which effectively prevents the public from knowing the County’s true fiscal condition before Election Day.

The legislation, which is sponsored by Democratic Legislator Vincent Esposito (D-Irondequoit), amends county law to require the budget to be submitted no later than the second Tuesday in October, which would restore the budget submission deadline in effect for virtually the past three decades.

The 2012 Monroe County budget poses many new challenges.  In addition to the still-unresolved structural deficit, which has now ballooned to over $60 million, next year’s budget will no longer have federal stimulus funds from the 2009 American Recovery & Reinvestment Act, it will need to comply with the new 2% property tax cap recently passed by Governor Cuomo and the State Legislature, and it will have to contend with a stagnant economy.

“This legislation is a common sense measure to restore accountability and increase transparency in our County’s budget process.  And given the unique challenges with next year’s budget the community needs more time, not less, to review how taxpayer dollars will be spent. The County Executive has released the budget early several times and there is no reason it can’t be done again now,” Esposito said.

Democratic Leader Ted O’Brien (D-Irondequoit) said, “Virtually every other County in New York State with an elected County Executive requires their budget to be submitted to the Legislature before Election Day.  Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy proposed a budget yesterday that is more than twice the size of Monroe County’s spending plan. It was a travesty when the budget deadline was changed by our Republican colleagues and we must correct it to ensure the level of transparency our community rightly demands and deserves.”

By submitting the budget in October, or earlier, the public, elected officials and non-profit agencies will be allowed greater time to analyze what is typically a one-thousand page document outlining a nearly $1.5 billion in spending.

“The most important thing we can do as a government to help our local economy is to provide information and confidence to taxpaying residents and businesses.  The County Executive should waste no time doing her job so we can do ours.” Esposito concluded.

Please find the legislation HERE.

 

Democrats Propose New Sex Offender Programs

Rochester, New York – September 6, 2011: Democratic County Legislators Vincent Esposito (D-Irondequoit) and Saul Maneiro (D-Rochester) today called on the County Legislature to approve two measures aimed at making it easier for residents to track where registered sexual offenders live.

Esposito is calling for the enactment of a new local law requiring that potential home buyers and renters be notified about the availability of sex offender databases before moving to a new location.

Maneiro is requesting a review by the Sheriff’s Office to determine whether Monroe County should join a nation-wide online network called OffenderWatch, a new comprehensive management and compliance tool for law enforcement officials that provides for residents to receive updates about the movements and whereabouts of registered predators. 

“People making a decision about where to live have a right to know as much as possible about the neighborhoods where they may be moving,” Esposito said. “We want to make sure prospective buyers and renters are aware of the State’s Sex Offender Registry as a resource before considering a home purchase or lease.”

Under the Sex Offender Notification Act of 1996, also known as “Megan’s Law”, New York requires those on parole, probation or imprisoned for a sex offense to register with the Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), which maintains a database for public use. The DCJS is also required to notify local law enforcement when registered offenders relocate in their jurisdictions, and this information is shared with school districts for distribution to parents.

But there is no notification for people who might move into a neighborhood where a registered sex offender might already live. 

Maneiro said OffenderWatch system is currently utilized by 25 New York Counties, including our neighbors Erie, Genesee, Niagara and Ontario, as well as in state-wide initiatives including the States of Connecticut and Vermont.  Its public safety benefit far outweighs its annual $14,000 licensing fee.

“Recidivism among those who commit sexual offenses poses a threat and we continue to wrestle with how to protect society from those who may still represent a significant risk,” Maneiro said. “This is a minimal investment whose dividends are obvious, especially to people who may not always have time to review the state registry but who would still automatically receive the information they need.” 

To review Legislator Maneiro's Proposal, please click HERE. Find more info on OffenderWatch HERE.

To review Legislator Esposito's Proposal, please click HERE.

Legislators Propose Home Improvement Contractor Registration

Rochester, New York – July 7, 2011.  Democratic County Legislator Cindy Kaleh (D-Rochester) today proposed legislation to curb dishonest activity among home improvement contractors. The legislation would create a registration system for home improvement contractors that would allow the county to protect homeowners and honest contractors from unscrupulous activity.

“This legislation is a good example of collaboration between local government and the small business community,” Legislator Kaleh said. “Working with our partners at the Better Contractors Bureau, we have developed a framework that would provide the administration with oversight of this unregulated field of work. By enacting this proposal, we will protect homeowners and honest contractors—it’s a win-win for everyone.”

Carmen Santora, Executive Director of the Better Contractors Bureau, has long been a strong proponent of a local contractor registry.

“By enacting this important legislation, we can protect Monroe County residents. The legislation will help honest contractors operate by reducing unscrupulous activity in our area and help the County’s budget without raising taxes, “ Executive Director Santora said. “I strongly encourage all legislators to consider enacting this proposal so that we can address this quality of life issue in a positive and meaningful way.”

The proposal would be administered by the County’s Department of Weights and Measures and would require home improvement contractors to register with the County before providing services. It would impose penalties on home improvement contractors who take payment for services that were never provided or that were provided in a substandard fashion.

Please find the proposal attached.

 

Democrats Propose Restrictions on Borrowing Money to Pay Pension Costs

Rochester, New York – June 6, 2011:  Democrats in the Monroe County Legislature today called for restrictions on County Executive Brooks’ ability to borrow money without any public scrutiny to pay for pension costs. This year, the Brooks Administration, without legislative approval, borrowed $6 million to pay for current year pensions costs. These funds will be paid back in future years with a 5% interest rate, which means taxpayers will pay $300,000 more each year for pension costs than if the borrowing had not taken place.

Currently the Administration is required to seek a two-thirds vote of approval prior to borrowing any money on behalf of County Taxpayers via the issuance of bonds or notes. However, the Brooks Administration was able to skirt this requirement and implement their reckless borrowing scheme without any legislative oversight because it technically didn't require the issuance of bonds or notes. The proposed Democratic legislation would apply the two-thirds vote requirement to all borrowing, including borrowing for pension costs regardless of whether bonds or notes are issued.

Legislator Paul Haney (D-Rochester), the sponsor of the legislation, said “This proposal enhances legislative oversight of taxpayer dollars. It is simply not good policy to allow the Executive to borrow $6 million with no checks or balances. We certainly hope that this proposal will be favorably received by our Republican counterparts and we look forward to working together to improve oversight of this county government.”

To view the proposal, click HERE.

Democrats Call for Eliminating Taxpayer Funded Cell Phones and Cars

Rochester, New York – June 1, 2011:  Democrats in the Monroe County Legislature today called for the elimination of certain taxpayer funded cell phones and vehicles, a move which could save taxpayers $600,000 annually.

The two proposals, put forward by Legislators Steve Eckel (D-Rochester, Gates, Greece) and Dick Beebe (D-Greece), would eliminate non-sheriff take home vehicles and cell phones for the County Executive, Director of Human Resources, Communications Director, County Clerk, Airport Director and several others.
Legislator Eckel said, “We are pleased to offer these common sense measures to save precious taxpayer resources. It is unconscionable that in this time of outrageous property taxes, local families are being asked to foot the bill for cell phones and cars for public employees that don’t really need them or could pay for such items out of their own pockets—such as the County Executive and Director of Human Resources.”

Legislator Beebe said, “At a time when working families across our County are struggling to make ends meet, we must do everything we can to cut expenses and reduce the property tax burden. By enacting these simple proposals, we can save $600,000 per year—that’s not chump change. It’s long past time this administration got serious about the County’s never-ending budget crisis. We’re never going to overcome the deficit in the long run unless we’re ready to take a series of small, proactive actions like those we have proposed today. Combined, such measures can go a long way to restore fiscal stability to our County.

Please find the proposals attached here: Cell Phone Reductions & Fleet Reductions.

 

Democrats Respond to State Airport Report

Rochester, New York – May 18, 2011:  Democrats in the Monroe County Legislature today issued their response to the report of improper activity and lapses of oversight at the Monroe County Airport Authority. The report, completed by the New York State Authorities Budget Office (ABO), concluded that the airport is dysfunctional and that the entire Airport Board should be replaced. Democrats are also releasing the response to the ABO report provided by the lone Democratic appointee to the board.

Democratic Leader Ted O’Brien (D-Irondequoit) said, “This report is something that should be utilized by the Brooks’ Administration to address public concerns about malfeasance, misconduct and lax oversight at the Airport Authority. Unfortunately, they’re still stubbornly refusing to acknowledge any problems at the airport, which will only ensure the status quo of dysfunction remains in place.”

Please find the response to the ABO report from Airport Board Member Willie Lightfoot attached.

 

Democrats Propose Legislation to Restrict Funeral Protests

Rochester, New York – April 20, 2011:  Democrats in the Monroe County Legislature recently introduced legislation that would prevent agitators from protesting at funeral services. The issue has recently gained significant attention with the United States Supreme Court Ruling in the case of Snyder v. Phelps.

Democratic Legislator Dick Beebe (D-Greece) said, “In a recent case before the U.S. Supreme Court involving the Westboro church, Chief Justice John Roberts opined that local municipalities had the authority to enact legislation to prohibit or restrict these types of funeral protests. As such, I recently introduced a proposal to do just that. This important proposal will protect grieving families from the abusive and inflammatory rhetoric presented by these protestors.”

The proposal will go to the Agenda/Charter Committee for a vote next Monday, April 25, at 5:30 pm. This proposal would cover all funerals and is more expansive than the one currently under consideration in the State Legislature, which would only apply to military funerals.

The legislation would prohibit protests within 500 feet of a funeral, wake, Shiva, burial or other memorial service held in connection with a deceased person. The protest prohibition would be effective from one hour before the event, through the event, and continuing until one hour has passed afterwards. Any person violating the prohibition would be subject to a violation, punishable by a fine of up to $1,000.

To view the proposal, click HERE.

 

Democrats Propose Freezing Salaries for Highest Paid County Employees

Rochester, New York – April 7, 2011:  Democrats in the Monroe County Legislature today proposed freezing salaries of the highest paid County employees to their 2010 level, eliminating a 2011 pay raise given to them by the Brooks Administration. The employees—nearly 400 of them—are classified as Management and Professional employees. The measure would save County taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars this year alone.

Legislator Saul Maneiro (D-Rochester) said, “Since taking office, the County Executive's budget has included three previous salary increases (5.1% in 2007, 2.5% in 2008 and 5.1% in 2010) for these Management & Professional employees. To say that a fourth additional raise is warranted at this time due to ‘cost of living increases’ when many County employees continue to be compensated at 2003 schedules is inappropriate and misleading to taxpayers."

Democrats noted that two Administration officials—one of whom also serves as the County Executive’s campaign manager—received even larger raises, potentially up to $20,000 per year.

Democratic Leader Ted O’Brien (D-Irondequoit) said, “I am pleased to support this worthy proposal and I hope my colleagues on the other side will as well. There is absolutely no reason to give these political appointees such significant pay hikes at a time when frontline workers are being laid off. Taxpayers expect us to be responsible financial stewards and this proposal helps this County meet the public’s expectations.”

To view the updated proposal, click HERE.

 

Office of Pubic Integrity Proposal Dies in Committee

Rochester, New York – March 21, 2011:  Democrats in the Monroe County Legislature today criticized their GOP counterparts for opposing the creation of an Office of Public Integrity (OPI) to oversee ethics issues within County Government. To provide independence, the newly established office would have been managed by a five member Public Integrity Board, to be appointed by the County Executive and Legislative Leaders. The OPI would have been overseen by a Director of Public Integrity, whose salary would be funded with the appropriation previously made to the Budget Director, who left to become Airport Director.

Assistant Democratic Leader Carrie M. Andrews (D-Rochester) said, “It is deeply disappointing that our Republican colleagues chose to continue hiding ethical lapses from public view. The system currently in place simply does not work. Although the County has hired a so-called Independent Accountability Counsel, the public never gets to see whether this entity is actually performing the task to which it is charged. Worse still, even County Legislators are prohibited from receiving the most basic information about the counsel’s activities, leaving us and the public unable to judge its effectiveness.”

On February 7th, Democrats asked the Brooks Administration to provide basic information about the Independent Accountability Counsel (IAC), such as the number of cases opened, the number of complaints to the Whistleblower Hotline and the number of cases referred to law enforcement. In a response from March 18th, the administration refused to provide any of the requested information, claiming all data and information related to the IAC is “privileged and confidential.”

The County Executive talks a great game about transparency and openness, but the fact is that she continues to hide information not only from the public, but from her supposed partners in government, the County Legislature. She need to start providing the public with basic information about the IAC,” added Legislator Andrews.

To view the proposal, click HERE.

 

Democrats Propose Legislation to Restrict Funeral Protests

Rochester, New York – March 18, 2011:  Democrats in the Monroe County Legislature today introduced legislation that would prevent agitators from protesting at funeral services. The issue has recently gained significant attention with the United State Supreme Court Ruling in the case of Snyder v. Phelps. The Democratic legislation is meant to prevent actions like those seen with the Westboro Baptist Church, where members would protest military funerals, applauding the fallen soldiers as a gift from God.

Democratic Legislator Dick Beebe (D-Greece) said, “While we certainly believe in the right to free speech, we also believe that families should be allowed to grieve the loss of a loved one without facing protesters demeaning their loved one’s life. As such, we have introduced legislation that would prohibit protests from occurring at funeral services. We feel this proposal is critically important to protect the rights of grieving families.”

The legislation would prohibit protests within 500 feet of a funeral, wake, Shiva, burial or other memorial service held in connection with a deceased person. The protest prohibition would be effective from one hour before the event, through the event, and continuing until one hour has passed afterwards. Any person violating the prohibition would be subject to a violation, punishable by a fine of up to $1,000.

To view the proposal, click HERE.

 

Republicans Refuse to Consider or Vote on Salary Reductions

Rochester, New York – March 14, 2011:  Democrats in the Monroe County Legislature today blasted the President of the Legislature for refusing to send a salary reduction proposal to committee. By blocking committee action, he alone has essentially squashed any meaningful opportunity to debate and vote on the issue.

Democratic Legislator Saul Maneiro, (D-Rochester) sponsor of the proposal, said, “Instead of giving taxpayers a substantive debate on this important proposal, our Republican colleagues have decided to abuse the rules so they don’t have to vote against lowering salaries for these highly paid managers who have received four salary increases since 2007.  The only way this County will be able to address the impending $105.6 million cumulative deficit if is we, as the elected leaders in this community, are willing to have such discussions and make these difficult decisions. Taxpayers deserve, at minimum, adequate debate on this issue.”

This action by the President follows several other legislative items which he unilaterally kept from consideration, such as property tax breaks for home improvement projects and full day public hearings on the County budget.

“At a time when families are struggling to put food on the table, and expenses such as gasoline and utilities are skyrocketing, it is unconscionable to give the highest paid county employees even larger salaries. It is my hope that the President will reconsider his action blocking this proposal from coming to a vote,” added Legislator Maneiro.

To view the proposal, click HERE.

 

Democrats Propose Requiring Legislators to Participate in New Ethics Training

Rochester, New York – March 10, 2011:  Democrats in the Monroe County Legislature today introduced legislation that would require County Legislators to participate in a new ethics training program for County Employees.

Democratic Leader Ted O’Brien (D-Irondequoit) said, “This legislation will add another layer of ethics and accountability to County Legislators. For the employees of our County, it is important that we show them we are willing to subject ourselves to the same ethical standards we expect of them.”

As the training program is rolled out by the Administration, Legislators, in addition to the County Executive, managers and employees, would be required to participate.

To view the proposal, click HERE.

 

Democrats Applaud Opening of New Pediatric and Foster Care Facility

Rochester, New York – March 4, 2011:  Democrats in the Monroe County Legislature today applauded County Executive Maggie Brooks and her Administration for the completion and opening of a new 22,000 square foot facility to house the County’s medical services for foster children and provide a safe place for children to have supervised parental visits.

Assistant Democratic Leader Carrie Andrews (D-Rochester) said, “We would like to congratulate County Executive Brooks, Commissioner Kelly Reed and Health Director Andrew Doniger for a job well done with the construction of this new, all-inclusive facility for foster care children. This important facility will allow for safe, supervised parental visits and house a one-stop shop for all the children’s medical and mental health needs.”

The facility also centralizes many services, including pediatric health, health care coordination, mental health and developmental screening.

Democratic Legislator Cindy Kaleh (D-Rochester) said, “We look forward to working with the administration to ensure this facility is well-used to serve this important segment of our population. We were all very pleased to have voted for this project in the legislature and it is gratifying to see it come to fruition.”

 

Democrats Announce Appointment to Redistricting Commission

Rochester, New York – March 3, 2011:  Democrats in the Monroe County Legislature today announced the appointment of Assistant Democratic Leader Calvin Lee Jr., as the Democratic representative on the County Legislature’s redistricting commission. Democrats favor an independent redistricting process, but since that proposal was defeated by Legislature Republicans, Democrats appointed Lee in an effort to bring some diversity to the current commission—which prior to Lee’s appointment was exclusively made up of white males.

Democratic Leader Ted O’Brien (D-Irondequoit) said, “While the current redistricting process is clearly going to be dominated by Republican politicians, we felt it very important that we use the small amount of influence we have to diversify the commission to the extent possible. We are deeply concerned that our Republican colleagues will simply use this commission as a rubberstamp to cement their control of the legislature for the next decade, but given their opposition to independent redistricting, we have to play the hand we’ve been dealt.”

Assistant Democratic Leader Calvin Lee Jr., (D-Rochester) said, “It is deeply troubling that this process is again going to be dominated by partisans, but I pledge to do everything I can to ensure that voters in our community are protected from the actions of this Republican majority. It is my hope that this commission will act transparently, including holding meetings open to the public, and allow for a great deal of community input prior to the adoption of any proposed redistricting plan.”

Democrats are awaiting word from the Republican President of the Legislature, Jeff Adair, as to when the commission will begin its work.

 

Democrats Propose Halting Rise in Salaries for Highest Paid County Employees

Rochester, New York – March 1, 2011:  Democrats in the Monroe County Legislature today proposed rolling back pay increases recently given by the Brooks Administration to certain County employees. The employees—over 400 of them—are classified as Management and Professional employees. The measure would save County taxpayers approximately $400,000 this year alone.

Legislator Saul Maneiro (D-Rochester) said, “From 2009 to 2010, this administration increased the number of County employees earning more than $100,000 by 15%. In today’s economy, when families struggle to pay their bills, this is unacceptable. To address this gross inequity, we’ve proposed rolling back pay raises contained in the County Executive’s 2011 budget.”

Democrats noted that two Administration officials—one of whom also serves as the County Executive’s campaign manager—received even larger raises, potentially up to $20,000 per year.

Legislator Dick Beebe (D-Greece) said, “I am pleased to support this worthy proposal and I hope my colleagues on the other side will as well. There is absolutely no reason to give these political appointees such significant pay hikes at a time when frontline workers are also being laid off. Taxpayers expect us to be responsible financial stewards and this proposal helps this County meet the public’s expectations.”

To view the proposal, click HERE.

 

Democrats Propose Legislation Creating County Office of Public Integrity

Rochester, New York – February 24, 2011:  Democrats in the Monroe County Legislature today introduced legislation to create an Office of Public Integrity (OPI) to oversee ethics issues within County Government. To provide independence, the newly established office would be managed by a five member Public Integrity Board, to be appointed by the County Executive and Legislative Leaders. The OPI would be overseen by a Director of Public Integrity, whose salary would be funded with the appropriation previously made to the Budget Director, who left to become Airport Director.

Assistant Democratic Leader Carrie M. Andrews (D-Rochester) said, “This proposal will bring a new level of transparency and accountability to County government. This office is structured in such a way that will provide the independence needed to adequately address potential ethical shortcomings. We certainly hope the County Executive and Legislature Majority will support this much needed ethics reform.”

Democrats are also proposing the creation of a task force to review how the OPI could work with Town and Village governments to help enforce their ethics policies. This would provide citizens with a single contact which could receive and investigate complaints about ethical lapses at all levels of local government.

County Legislator Cindy Kaleh (D-City of Rochester) said, “In recent years we have seen many abuses of power in our local governments. The tax payers deserve better and a municipal Office of Public Integrity could serve the needs of all the residents of Monroe County.  The cost of recent scandals has been high and we must do everything we can to ensure the highest level of integrity—something which to date has been severely lacking.”

To view the proposal, click HERE.

 

Democrats Urge Brooks Administration to Recoup Cigar Funds

Rochester, New York – January 27, 2011:  Democrats in the Monroe County Legislature today called on the Brooks Administration to recoup public monies spent on cigars by the former Director of the Monroe County Airport Authority. Democrats are gratified that the State Authorities Budget Office has begun an independent investigation of the situation at the airport, as the Brooks Administration has not yet sought the return of potentially misspent public funds.

In recent weeks, the Brooks Administration has recovered about $4,000 spent at a New York City strip club, but they refuse to seek the return of more than $17,000 spent on cigars by the former airport Director.

Democratic Leader Ted O’Brien (D-Irondequoit) said, “It is absurd for this administration to claim that adult entertainment expenses must be recovered, but spending public money for all the other questionable cigar expenditures is allowable. We are calling for the return of allpublic money spent that can not be demonstrated to have been spent in the public interest. While it is disappointing that the administration chose not to seek return of all these funds, we are very pleased that an independent review is currently underway to determine what additional issues exist. We look forward to the results of this investigation and we hope that the administration will comply with any recommendations that come from it.”

Democrats Condemn GOP for Voting Against Independent Redistricting: Proposal Will Face Final Vote At Next Tuesday’s Legislature Meeting

Rochester, New York – January 24, 2011:  Democrats in the Monroe County Legislature are condemning their GOP colleagues for voting against an independent redistricting proposal during the Agenda Charter committee meeting today. The proposal, which would take politics out of the redistricting process, will come up for final consideration during next Tuesday’s meeting of the Full Legislature.

Deputy Democratic Leader Vincent Esposito (D-Irondequoit) said, “While not surprising, tonight’s action by our Republican colleagues is disappointing. Independent redistricting enjoys wide support across all segments of our community and that’s why we’ve proposed this local law. To continue this important conversation and to give all legislators a chance to weigh in, we will bring this matter to a final vote during the Full Legislature meeting next Tuesday, February 1, at 6:00 pm.”

Tonight’s action was taken in the Agenda Charter Committee, with Republicans Dick Yolevich (R-Parma), John Howland (R-Henrietta) and Mike Barker (R-Fairport, East Rochester & Perinton) voting against the measure. Democrats Vincent Esposito and Steve Eckel (D-Rochester, Greece, Gates & Irondequoit) voted in favor of the proposal.

"While these 3 legislators have voted, yet again, to put their political party above the people of this community, I remain optimistic that 2 of the other 13 Republicans in the Legislature will choose to do the right thing next Tuesday.” Esposito stated.

 

Democrats Call on IRS to Investigate Sports Centre Corporation

Rochester, New York – January 21, 2011:  Democrats in the Monroe County Legislature have sent a letter to the Internal Revenue Service asking them to investigate whether political contributions made by the facility formerly known as the ESL Sports Centre violate non-profit tax laws.

According to records on file with the New York State Board of Elections, the Sports Centre—a 501(c)(3) non-profit entity—donated more than $12,000 to several Republican State Legislators. These types of entities are prohibited from participating in political activities, including contributions to candidates.

Democratic Leader Ted O’Brien (D-Irondequoit) said, “It is shameful that these Republican Legislators have refused to return the donations they received from a not-for-profit charitable organization. As it appears the politicians who have received these contributions are not motivated by a desire to do the right thing, we have asked the IRS to determine that the donations were, in fact, illegal.”

Please find the letter attached.

 

Legislators Call on Reilich, Alesi and Errigo to Return Illegal Campaign Money

Rochester, New York – January 19, 2011:  Democrats in the Monroe County Legislature have sent letters to three Republican State Legislators to return illegal campaign contributions made to them by a non-profit entity controlled by Monroe County. According to the New York State Board of Elections, $12,650 was contributed from the facility formerly known as the ESL Sports Centre. As a 501(c)(3) corporation, the Centre is prohibited from  making political donations. Worse still, the Centre owes nearly a million dollars to Monroe Community College (MCC) for delinquent rent payments. The legislators who received illegal campaign contributions are State Senator Jim Alesi, State Assemblyman and Monroe County GOP Chair Bill Reilich and former State Assemblyman Joe Errigo.

Democrats are calling on each of these legislators to refund the illegal contributions to the Centre and for the Centre to apply these funds towards their delinquent MCC rent payments.

Democratic Legislator Dick Beebe (D-Greece) said, “It is absolutely critical that these funds be returned to the Sports Centre. The dire fiscal condition of this entity requires strict adherence to all applicable laws and regulations, which is why these donations are so troubling. Since the current Sports Centre Board doesn’t feel the need to demand these contributions be refunded, we must take the lead and set an example of fiscal responsibility and ethical conduct. Using Sports Centre money to make illegal Republican campaign donations to favored politicians, while ignoring the huge amounts owed to our community college is reprehensible” 

Democratic Minority Leader Ted O’Brien said, “Last week, Democrats in the county legislature called on the three Republican legislators to refund the illegal contributions. To our knowledge, the refunds have not been made. This inaction is inexcusable in the face of a clear violation of the law. We repeat our call for an immediate refund, and would hope that the Sports Centre would begin to make payments on the amounts due the college.” 

Please find the letter attached.

Democrats: Airport Scandal Needs Independent Review

Rochester, New York – January 18, 2011: Democrats in the Monroe County Legislature today reiterated their call for an independent review of expenses and policies at the Monroe County Airport Authority. Democrats contend that today‟s news that the Airport Authority Board adopted new policies with little consideration or discussion by the Board is a continuation of the same poor practices that led to the misuse of public resources in the first place.

Democratic Leader Ted O‟Brien (D-Irondequoit) said, “The approval of these new policies with no genuine involvement of the Board and no opportunity for all board members to consider the proposed changes is disheartening. The Board is supposed to be accountable for what happens at the Airport, but it seems that the remedies are conceived behind closed doors and summarily submitted to the Board. This lack of engagement by the Board is part of the reason why the suspect airport expenditures were deemed „appropriate‟ by all but one board member, in the first place. The majority of board members, with the exception of Legislator Lightfoot, failed to express any concerns regarding these outrageous expenditures. I believe what we have seen at the airport, and with several other local authorities in recent months, is symptomatic of a larger problem. We renew our call for an independent review of the situation so that citizens can have confidence that public funds are being used appropriately.”

Democrats and their appointee to the Airport Board were not provided any advance notice of the proposed changes.

“The history of public authorities and local development corporations in Monroe County is cause for concern. There has been no accountability in these quasi-governmental entities. In this environment, it‟s no wonder that we keep seeing scandals emerge. If the County Executive is truly interested in restoring the public‟s trust, then she should join us in calling for the State Authority Budget Office to review why we have so many ongoing problems with these entities,” O‟Brien added.

 

Democrats Respond to Disturbing Trend of Illegal Acts by County Authorities

Rochester, New York – January 14, 2011:  Democrats in the Monroe County Legislature today have called on three Republican State Legislators to return illegal campaign contributions made to them by a non-profit entity controlled by Monroe County. According to the New York State Board of Elections, $12,650 was contributed from the facility formerly known as the ESL Sports Centre. As a 501(c)(3) corporation, the Centre is prohibited from  making political donations. Worse still, the Centre owes nearly a million dollars to Monroe Community College (MCC) for delinquent rent payments. The returned contributions should be used towards their delinquent rent payments to the Community College. 

Democratic Leader Ted O’Brien (D-Irondequoit) said, “Unfortunately, it’s hardly surprising to learn that another quasi-governmental entity controlled by this County Administration has apparently violated the law. From the Water Authority to the various local development corporations, we’ve seen this situation time and again. Although not directly supported by taxpayers, these entities clearly drive up taxpayer expenses by draining precious resources from County supported organizations like MCC. We certainly hope these illegal contributions will be returned promptly so that taxpayers won’t be forced to carry another burden.”

Democrats are also calling on the President of the of Sports Centre board to step down and for former County Legislator Jack Driscoll to resign his position on the Sports Centre board in light on his recent support for these illegal political contributions and poor fiscal oversight. Democrats are concerned that Mr. Driscoll refuses to even acknowledge that the payments were inappropriate, when they clearly violate the law.

Deputy Minority Leader Vincent Esposito (D-Irondequoit) said "Everyone other than the Sports Centre Corp knows it is illegal for non-profits to give campaign contributions. The money should be returned immediately and the IRS should investigate the corporation’s non-profit tax status as called for by Supervisor Frankel yesterday. However, President Driscoll's explanation raises even more serious questions about the nature of the management fees paid by the Corp. A much more in-depth financial review of the Corps books is in order at this time to ensure there are not more egregious accounting improprieties."

Earlier this week Democratic Legislator Richard (Dick) Beebe (D-Greece, Charlotte) was submitted as the Democratic Caucus’s appointment to the Sports Centre board of directors.

Legislator Dick Beebe said, “The Sports Centre at MCC has been in poor fiscal condition for many years, depriving MCC much needed revenue that could be used to lower tuition or the taxpayer contribution from the County. The fact that they’ve squandered thousands of dollars to support political candidates is simply beyond the pale. These State Legislators must do the right thing and return this money so it can be used to pay the debt owed to our local community college.”

 

Redistricting Reform Proposal Amended and Reintroduced

Rochester, New York – January 10, 2011:  Democrats have amended and reintroduced a proposal to create an independent redistricting process for Monroe County legislative districts. The amendments address issues raised by members of the public and Republican legislators.

In response to comments that it would be impracticable to forbid the dividing of Towns, Democrats have changed the proposal to say that the desire is to keep Towns intact, but if that isn’t practical, then consideration should be given to other existing boundaries like subdivisions and hamlets. Other changes include prohibiting the consideration of voter registration when drafting the redistricting plan and reducing the Redistricting Commission membership from ten to eight members.

Deputy Democratic Leader Vincent Esposito (D-Irondequoit) said, “The public overwhelmingly supports an independent redistricting process and have offered many suggestions to make my proposal more non-partisan and more reflective of our community. As a result, the legislation has been improved and I will continue to urge my colleagues over the next few weeks to respond to the will of our citizens by enacting a reform that will deliver the type of representation they want and deserve for years to come."

Assistant Democratic Leader Carrie Andrews (D-Rochester) said, “This proposal will go a long way to

restoring the public’s faith in their government. I strongly encourage my Republican colleagues to consider this proposal on the merits and not through a partisan lens. The citizens we serve certainly deserve nothing less.”

Democrats anticipate the proposal will be voted upon during the Agenda Charter Committee meeting on Monday, February 14, 2011 at 5:30 pm. To view the proposal, click HERE.