Good Evening Chairman Gerentine, Minority Leader Donaldson, distinguished Legislators, citizens of Ulster County and members of the press.

I’d like to thank my Republican colleagues for electing me to a second term as the Majority Leader of the Ulster County Legislature. Again, I promise to uphold the responsibilities associated with this position.
Ulster County is a very special place and I don’t say that lightly. We’re ALL extremely fortunate to live here. I say ALL as a reminder. Ulster County has almost 200,000 residents and the Legislature serves all of them, regardless of party affiliation. We have an obligation to operate county government as efficiently as possible. This is a responsibility we all share.
Together, we must address the serious challenges facing Ulster County. Our challenges are related to the budget and spending, to efficient delivery of services and use of space, to major projects, economic development, and ultimately, to the way we govern ourselves. These challenges require the combined skills of every Legislator in this body.
We must have TRUE leadership; the type of leadership that’s best measured during challenging times. It would be easy to be a leader if there were no pressing issues and if resources were unlimited, but that’s not reality. Leaders take on serious issues and don’t avoid them. With support from both sides of the aisle, we have been able to accomplish many things this past year and I look forward to working with both Republicans and Democrats in the year ahead.
At this time, I must express my sincere gratitude to the County Administrator Art Smith, his staff, all department heads and county employees for their role in this year’s budget process. I would be remiss not to mention Chairperson Sue Cummings and the Ways and Means Committee for their commitment to reducing this year’s budget from its original proposal. Saving the taxpayers of Ulster County money should be a priority of this legislature.

Last year I proposed a reduction of overtime expenses in the highway department. I am proud to announce that for 2004 we reduced our highway department’s overtime expenses by over $330,000. We are making progress, but we can do more. The cost of providing services to the public has risen. This county is growing everyday and the demands for services grow with it. Working together we must become more proficient and resourceful to meet those challenges.
Having said all that, I’d like to offer some suggestions for next year’s budget. I believe we should implement a plan for an early budget review. We know the 2006 county budget process will be every bit as difficult as was the 2005 process. One good thing that came out of our recent process was a better understanding of the services we deliver. Without further delay, I would ask the county administrator and his staff to project our next year’s budget scenario, based on our current knowledge of funding and revenue trends, so we can continue the exploratory process now, before we get rushed to do so later in the year. This would give our committees ample time to meet with department heads and to develop a full appreciation for the values of each service and to establish priorities.
I suggest that the Majority Leader and Minority Leader participate in some department meetings. We then could discuss the issues with our respective caucuses. The Legislature should be more proactive in supporting the county employees. These employees are the backbone of what makes it all work. We must show our appreciation for their commitment when negotiating new contracts this year. These employees have the same needs as the private sector and deserve to be recognized for their loyal efforts.