State of the County; Prepared for 2021
County residents can be proud of their government’s solid financial standing. As we start on the path to recovery, Republican leaders continue to work closely with the County Executive to identify and plan key investments and initiatives to successfully move our community and economy forward.
New York State’s ever-present threat of reductions in its budgeted State Aid commitment was taken very seriously. While the $20 million cut never came to fruition, it would have been irresponsible management if County leaders failed to prepare for this loss in funding, which would compound significant Sales Tax shortfalls.
Onondaga County will finish 2020 with a $25 million surplus, mostly attributed to the unrealized threat of State Aid being cut. The surplus shows that Onondaga County prioritized its operations and critical services throughout the pandemic. We employed innovative strategies to keep people employed and focused on continued good governance. We shouldered the burden of fighting the spread of Covid and asked our employees to go above and beyond to keep Onondaga County functioning, responsive and accessible for the people we serve.
Republican legislators brought rapid testing sites and food drives to their districts while helping their residents get registered for vaccines. With our stimulus funding, we are most excited to see investments in the Village Main Street grant, with expansion of this funding for Town Centers.
We will continue sewer consolidation efforts with localities and major investments in our roadways with a goal to pave 160 miles this construction season – nearly doubling a typical year. For decades, Republican leaders have sought funding to expand Broadband into our suburban and rural areas. This past year has reaffirmed how important internet infrastructure is. Our hard-earned, stable, financial position enables us to actively pursue economic investment while helping those who need it most.
The 2021 budget, adopted with opposition from the Democrat caucus, includes millions of dollars to continue our fight against the pandemic. This funding will be used for testing, vaccinating and continuing our battle to defeat Covid. Republican legislators are extremely motivated to prepare our schools to resume in-person learning and renew our focus on efforts to invest in our community like never before.