Ginny's 2005 Proposed Budget Comments
Chairman Kendall and Dutchess County Legislators, Thank you for this opportunity to comment! I was pleased to learn that the County Executive had RESTORED funding for the positon of County Historian within the Proposed 2005 Budget for the Department of History. I was not so pleased, in fact I was quite disappointed, to learn that the Legislature proposed to cut out the $15,000 in the Dept. of History Proposed 2005 Budget for "Professional Services". We the people of Dutchess County who wish to preserve and protect our History/Birthright for ourselves and future generations with our County Tax Dollars have spoken and have finally convinced our Co. Executive to restore funding to the County Historian position and embrace our County's history. The Legislature should not - "right off the bat" cut from that budget. This sends a negative message back to the Co. Executive from the Legislature. The more support this legislature gives the Co. Executive regarding the 2005 Proposed Budget for the Department of History, the more likely the Co. Executive will expediently seek a qualified candidate for presentation to the legislature for approval and the more likely a qualified candidate will be to accept the position. The $15,000 represents only a little over $1,000 for each of the 13 years the position has been vacant and a very minute percentage of the overall 2005 proposed budget. I am confident that our renowned, well-educated, long-term County Exeuctive has already calculated the "Vacancy Factor" into his Proposed Budget numbers. There should be no need for this body to deliberate that factor. After all it is the County Executive himself who has neglected to fund the office of County Historian for the past 13 years. Although I most certainly understand the financial constraints this county is under, I also understand that whoever is the final candidate for this position will most certainly need a physical office - a desk, a computer, and supplies, access to a copier and fax machine, as well as a telephone, not a cell phone, just a phone. I cannot imagine any person accepting the position without the possibility of same. Having an office at the County makes the Historian more visible both to the public and to other members of local government. Having an office in a government building gives the office of historian a permanent address, and it also means that the State Historians office and other state offices have fewer problems contacting the County Historian as historians change over time. It is definitely frowned upon by all knowledgeable in the field that a Historian should work out of his/her home - this leads to questions down the road as to what belongs to the County and what is the personal property of the historian as the person holding the position changes over time. Also there are numerous seminars and training sessions available from various organizations which the historian should become a member of that may have membership fees. Attending training sessions and seminars offered by these organizations would be most advantageous for the historian and may also have fees associated with them. Let's make it conducive for a qualified person to accept this position, lest it become a position that never gets filled and is once again deleted from the Budget because it was never filled and the blame for that in the eyes of many will rest soley on the Legislature and not the County Executive. I respectfully request the Committee and the Legislature to reconsider or shall we say restore this $15,000 cut and send a message back to the Co. Executive that this legislature FULLY SUPPORTS his proposed budget as it pertains to the office of County Historian and the Dept. of History. Thank You for the opportunity to express my concerns. |
| ----- Original Message ----- Dear Chairman Kendall and members of the Legislator! |
| December 7, 2004 William R. Steinhaus |