public comments by kt tobin

I was part of the team that wrote the original 2009 application to the state to request funding to study alternative governance models for New Paltz. This process has most definitely turned out differently from what we had hoped and expected.

We wanted this study to provide the requisite factual information to (from the original proposal): "help the public distinguish between fact and rhetoric in order to develop and contribute informed opinion and participation." We actually got the buy-in and the votes from wary village and town board members at the time because the plan we laid out was going to be different. It was going to be informed and inclusive. Disappointingly, we have not come anywhere near achieving that goal.

My assessment of the reports (human resources, infrastructure, financial) completed by the consolidation proponents is that they lack sufficient detail and documentation. If a professional submitted these reports, one could easily make the case to not pay. They are unorganized and lack attention to standard reporting and accounting best practices. Egregiously, false information about aggregate “savings” was released to the public and the press before there was any real or adequate validation of the numbers. And at a recent joint town/village meeting, the town supervisor actually silenced the independently elected town highway superintendent when he was asked to provide detail about the over half a million dollars his department would contribute to the supposed “savings”. 

I was distressed by this so I called Chris Marx and he walked me through the highway numbers in the financial report. All the proposed savings ($520K) cuts were already made in the 2013 town budget - with consolidation in mind, including 4 positions ($320K) and the remainder $200K (not buying stuff he knows the village has). All one time costs, already instituted with the assumption of merger in the short term. He in no way can or will cut more people, as he believes he can not do that safely. Overall it appears none of the cuts require consolidation and he has some great ideas for efficiency that could easily be implemented informally or via inter-municipal agreements.

In my review of the recently released financial report, I could not find any significant savings that would require consolidation to implement, found no work load or safety analysis, or any assessment of the impact the proposed cuts to personnel and services would have (e.g. how much longer it will take to plow all the roads in a typical snow storm). There appear to be multiple lines that were cut from the town budget this year in anticipation of merger, but are being counted towards future savings. Government appears to grow, not shrink, as many new and various infrastructure special districts are proposed for the village (e.g. lighting, sidewalks, police, fire, sewer). Overall, the financial report reads as a tax restructuring – not a consolidation – plan, as it includes significant tax shift from the town to the village – it is definitely not an appealing scenario for villagers to have their taxes increase in tandem with losing home rule!

What is currently proposed is not a viable, equitable, or democratic path. I do believe we can have more efficient and effective government in New Paltz, and I will continue to contribute to this work with that goal in mind.