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In the final days leading up to the November 3 election, Southampton Town Councilwoman Anna Throne-Holst, the Democratic candidate for town supervisor, released a 13-point plan for reforming town government.
Ms. Throne-Holst’s “Municipal Government Reorganization and Service Provision Improvement Plan” outlines steps to reduce the town budget and spending on full-time staff and contractors, and to help the town recover from budget woes, which include multimillion-dollar budget deficits due to faulty accounting practices dating back to 2003, she said.
The plan, spelled out over eight pages, calls for a 15-percent reduction in overall town spending by 2012, from $78 million this year to $66.3 million, and a 20-percent reduction in full-time staff by 2012 via attrition and early retirement incentives. Such a reduction would bring staff levels to about 400 employees in 2012, down from 501 employees anticipated in 2010.
The plan is “comprehensive and, admittedly, very ambitious,” Ms. Throne-Holst said at a press conference she held in Hampton Bays on Monday.
Others at the press conference who voiced support for the plan included New York Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr., an Independence Party member, Democratic Town Board candidates Bridget Fleming and incumbent Councilwoman Sally Pope, and Democratic Trustee candidates Bill Pell and Chris Garvey.
“We are committed to these goals and to seeing them implemented,” Ms. Throne-Holst said.
A leading component of Ms. Throne-Holst’s plan is the formation of new task forces to study various town operations. Ms. Throne-Holst said the groups would examine town operating policy and procedures, and land use projects, among other things, in hopes of finding areas of overlapping services.
“I think that if we reorganize then we can take some of the bloat out,” Ms. Throne-Holst said. “It will give us the opportunity to really look at the level of services that we provide and what level of services the taxpayers want.”
Supervisor Linda Kabot, whom Ms. Throne-Holst is challenging in the election, said this week that she is already doing the work to address the town’s budget crisis. “My platform is the town’s budget,” she said. “I charted a strategic plan ... to move the town forward to a brighter, and more solvent, future.”
The supervisor also skewered her opponent for not coming forward sooner with a plan. “I am glad she finally pulled together some kind of platform and plan,” Ms. Kabot said in an e-mail on Tuesday. “Other than nasty criticism about me and how she has the ability to work more cooperatively with others ... what has Anna Throne-Holst run on this campaign season?”
Ms. Throne-Holst countered in a subsequent e-mail that “separating fact from fiction is not criticism, it is simply setting the record straight. Pointed criticism,” she continued, “cannot be confused with being nasty. Nasty is not permissible in a public servant—and there my track record speaks for itself.”
Get Out the Vote
Southampton Town Councilman Christopher Nuzzi, who is running for reelection to a second term, is holding a preelection rally at Nello Summertime’s in Southampton on Thursday from 6 to 9 p.m. Donations are $75 including an open bar and appetizers.
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Total comments by Turkey Bridge: 340
Total comments by highhatsize: 416
Total comments by dagdavid: 263
Total comments by BOReilly: 92
Regarding the budgeting process, it calls for a zero-based/no sacred cow approach, i.e., justify every dollar that is spent, across the board. It asks the questions, are your goals and objectives critical, and if yes, can you accomplish these goals with less money.
The plan calls for revenue modeling so that cashflow/revenue ... more streams are understood. You can't budget without knowing revenue.
It calls for quarterly budget variance reports, that is, comparing actual expenses to budgeted expenses. Variance reports give you the information you need to take corrective action if expenses are growing larger than planned.
It calls for department head meetings to improve communication and ppolicy and procedure review.
The plan calls for a thorough review of all policies and procedures to ensure that they make sense and that they carry out tasks necessary to get things done.
The plan calls for a re-organized town board meeting to facilitate public input.
The plan calls for an accounting review to ensure that the general ledger is supported by appropriate accounting practices.
For town board members it redefines their job. They will be assigned to specific CACs so that each CAC has a go to councilmember. Ending the diffusion and attenuation of responsibility.
It calls for a thorough review of all jobs and job functoins and seeks to ask the question can this job take on more responsibuilty. If yes, then an evaluation can be made if an attrited job needs to be filled.
So, when Ms. Throne-Holst says that she would like to run town government like a business, well, looks like she means it.
Total comments by number19: 68
Total comments by golfbuddy: 180
Total comments by BOReilly: 92
Total comments by Turkey Bridge: 340
Take these signs that you are finding in the woods right to the DA's office for fingerprints. They are evidence in this sign stealing ring of thieves. Maybe your case will be heard before the election. Go now every minute you waist is another sign lost.
Total comments by golfbuddy: 180
Just like this paper reported, the plan contained many wishy-washy verbs, promise to analyze, review, assemble & develop, no specifics. What about the 2010 budget?.
In my view we need cuts now.
Total comments by golfbuddy: 180
All we see is Anna and Sally saying we need to get to the bottom of this and saying its taking too long. Why aren't they in the comptrollers office working late nights and weekends with the staff there like linda is? ... more Maybe because theres no tv cameras there unlike the board meetings.
Regrettably, Sally Pope's Sign Dogs are back again, pulling out opposition signs and throwing them in the woods. Even if she didn't start it, Sally Pope can make it stop, and she needs to do that, or we'll all think she's OK with this infantile cheating.
Total comments by ridiculous: 129
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