The state of the county

By JONATHAN ROUIS

The recent passage of state legislation benefiting Louis Cappelli’s project on the site of the former Concord Resort is a step in the right direction for Sullivan County. The “Entertainment City” resort will create thousands of permanent jobs for area residents, introduce hundreds of thousands of visitors to Sullivan County and will create another vibrant tourism destination.

It is wonderful to see this type of development returning to the Catskills, and particularly to Sullivan County, but if we are going to realize the true positives of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, we must begin the planning process immediately. We must collaborate and work collectively on all levels of government. We must take the blueprint of the Sullivan 20/20 Strategic Plan and make it a living document to prepare for this unprecedented growth.

I believe we must also recognize this “Entertainment City” resort is but one piece in our county’s economic development puzzle, and we must work on presenting a complete economic development package that relies on the successes of each of our communities, not just a select few.

A number of our Main Street corridors have undergone significant renovation over the past few years, and communities like Livingston Manor, Jeffersonville and Wurtsboro have seen a dramatic increase in business because of their renovations. The Village of Woodridge, with financial assistance from Sullivan Renaissance, recently installed solar street lamps that are attractive and enhance their Main Street corridor, while relying on self-generated solar power, not costly electricity, to function. As a legislature, we must work together with the local municipalities to clean up and “green” up our remaining Main Streets to promote the same type of growth in all of our communities.

The national and local economies are under tremendous strain, with a national recession looming and fuel prices doubling over the past five years. Last fall, the county legislature approved a fiscally conservative 2008 budget that allowed us to retain the quality-of-life initiatives and services our residents expect, within the parameters of a budget that anticipated zero growth in the sales tax revenues from 2007 to 2008 and very conservative revenue and growth estimates overall. While these conservative measures have provided some buffer against the current economic conditions, it is important to recognize that the development of the 2009 county budget is going to be a difficult task this fall. It is imperative that my colleagues and I put aside partisan politics and focus our energies on delivering a budget that includes no significant property tax increases, and maintains the services and programs our constituents expect.

With the large-scale projects Sullivan County will be facing over the next few years, namely Phase Two of the county landfill and the state-mandated new county jail, we must be conservative not only in our budget projects, but expenditures, as well. I whole-heartedly support the county manager’s request for a five percent reduction in expenditures in every department for 2008, and his development of a six-year attrition plan in preparation for the 2009 budget cycle. As families and businesses across the region tighten their budgets and focus on essentials rather than wish lists, so must the county, and I believe these measures are a good place to begin refocusing our efforts.

(Jonathan Rouis is the chairman of the Sullivan County Legislature and represents District 4.)