Fewer state mandates, lower county taxes and help from Upstate Medical University for the area’s elderly highlight the stands of Judy Tassone, R-Liverpool, on some key issues as she seeks re-election from District 4 in the Onondaga County Legislature.
She faces Democrat David Stott in a rematch. Tassone beat then-incumbent Stott for the same seat in the 2009 election. District 4 is in the central region of Onondaga County, including Geddes, the western part of Salina, Liverpool, most of Onondaga Lake, and a small portion of the Northside of Syracuse. The election is Nov. 8.
Democracywise posed three questions on some key issues to the candidates in the contested open-seat races for the Onondaga County Legislature. Here are responses from Tassone:
Taxes
Q: What, if anything, do you think should be done about county taxes? Please be specific on tax proposals or budget cuts. How would you get the money required to provide public services? Raise taxes? Which? Increase fees for services? Which? What, if any, specific services or programs would you cut to balance the county budget?
A: “The county tax rate is currently set at $5.60/1,000, which is the lowest tax rate in 50 years. A home assessed at $100,000 is paying $560 a year for police, parks, maintenance of our roadways, and state mandates (Medicaid). The county, and by extension, most towns and villages are living within austere budgets. It is the state of New York that continues to live beyond its means, and in order for them to continue to spend, spend, spend, they have passed down their exorbitant bills to the counties. Onondaga County currently spends over $2,000,000 a week to support New York’s Medicaid system. If Onondaga County was not responsible for the large bills from Albany, we could deliver major tax decreases while maintaining the services residents want.”
Young People
Q: Keeping and attracting young people is a long-standing concern for our region. What, specifically, do you think the Onondaga County government should do make the area more attractive to young workers and their families?
A: “I think Onondaga County government’s support of Onondaga Community College is a great start. Young students in this area can get a great education at a fraction of the price of private universities. Onondaga County continues to support many parks and recreation facilities around the county that provide a quality of life. Namely, Onondaga Lake Park which offers many programs for young adults like kickball and softball leagues. All of the parks are family friendly, especially the Rosamond Gifford Zoo. The growth in this region has been steady and as we start to attract more businesses and jobs, the area will continue to prosper. Onondaga County has a lot to offer young workers and families alike.”
Van Duyn Home and Long-Term Care for the Elderly
The county-owned Van Duyn nursing home provides long-term care to many of the county’s elderly. But Van Duyn is in deep financial trouble. Last year, taxpayers absorbed about $5.7 million of Van Duyn’s costs and taxpayers are expected to absorb another $3 million this year. As of March 1, 2011, the state also cut off Medicare and Medicaid payments for new admissions to the nursing home, citing unsafe conditions there. And since March, county officials and Upstate Medical University have been negotiating for Upstate to take over the home. But Upstate has not yet agreed, citing concerns about whether the state can subsidize Van Duyn. If the home closes, it’s unclear what will become of Van Duyn’s residents. At the same time, the county’s population — like the rest of the nation’s — is aging and many will need long-term care.
Q: What if anything do you think the county government can or should do to keep Van Duyn from closing? What else, if anything, can or should the county government do to meet the long-term care needs of our aging population?
A: “First of all, the county will not allow Van Duyn to close. We have a responsibility to the patients at that facility to provide them with the care they need. Secondly, most of the private and not-for-profit facilities in Onondaga County are also near capacity, meaning there isn’t another facility to relocate the patients at Van Duyn to. I believe the deal with Upstate will move forward. With the aging population expanding, there will be a need for Upstate, as an educational institution, to expand its expertise in geriatrics.”
(Matt Phifer is a senior with dual majors in broadcast and digital journalism and political science.)
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