Downtown investment continues to pay dividends

Ticket sales for the Broadway show "Wicked" were so overwhelming that the Proctors website was temporarily overwhelmed.

"Proctor’s has been the cornerstone of our economic revitalization effort and has been a catalyst for additional development downtown and throughout Schenectady County,” said Susan E. Savage, Chairwoman of the Schenectady County Legislature.

Democrats on the County Legislature have remained committed to Proctors, supporting grants of $1 million at the start of the project and $450,000 in 2007 to help complete the $30 million renovation project that made it possible for shows like "Phantom of the Opera", which in 2006 had an estimated local economic impact of at least $10 million, and "Wicked" to come to Proctors. Additionally, Proctors receives $200,000 per year through a dedicated arts fund that supports art and cultural programs throughout Schenectady County at no local taxpayer expense.

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Railex proves a continuing success

Railex has proven to be a continuing success in Rotterdam. The company is now operating four trains a week to Rotterdam and employing nearly 200 employees thanks to the unified economic development team put in place by County Democrats in 2004.

Click here to read more.

County Democrats Pass Largest Tax Cut in 20 Years

Democrats on the Schenectady County Legislature led by Chairwoman Susan E. Savage passed a 2.13% tax cut, the third cut in the last five years and the largest cut in at least 20 years. This makes the Schenectady County full value tax rate the lowest since 1956. This budget was made possible by the Democratic Majority's effort over the last 6 years to cut spending and create a leaner more efficient government.

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Schenectady County Plans to Re-develop former Kmart Site in Glenville Move Foward

Susan E. Savage, Chair of the Schenectady County Legislature, today provided an update on plans to redevelop the former Kmart site in the Town of Glenville at the corner of Saratoga Road (Route 50) and Glenridge Road. The County is working with the owner of the site to recruit a major national retailer to the Town of Glenville. Chair Savage said, “Redevelopment of the Kmart site in Glenville is a top priority for the County’s economic development team. We are making steady progress on the site and we have a major national retailer interested in working with us and the owner of the site. By taking the right steps in the next few months, we will be in a very strong position to develop this site in 2010.”

For more information, click here.

County Residents Save $239,000 Using County Prescription Drug Discount Card

Thanks to the strong leadership of the Democratic Majority on the County Legislature and Chair Susan E. Savage, in five short months Schenectady County residents have saved $239,000 have been filed using the Schenectady County Prescription Drug Discount Card.

“Schenectady County residents are receiving an average 36 percent discount on their prescriptions. Every little bit can help during these difficult economic times,” said Chair Savage. “This program is a great success and I look forward to the drug discount card bringing additional savings to Schenectady County families.”

2.13% Tax Cut in 2010 County Budget

“The current economic and financial climate has been difficult on all of our County residents. I asked County Manager Kathy Rooney to propose a budget that reduces the tax burden on our residents while maintaining the core services we provide to our residents,” said Susan E. Savage, Chairwoman of the Schenectady County Legislature. “I am pleased to announce that our efforts have resulted in a budget that delivers a 2.13% tax cut, the third tax cut in the past five years, and a 3.95% reduction in the County’s full value tax rate, the lowest rate in more than 50 years.”

“This budget was constructed during the most difficult economic downturn since the Great Depression,” said Legislator Philip Fields, Chair of the Legislature’s Ways and Means Committee. “Yet we recognize the need for relief and have provided that to our taxpayers.”

For the past six years, the Democratic Majority on the Schenectady County Legislature has worked to minimize the impact on taxpayers through cuts and creative strategies to control the cost that are within the County’s control. These efforts have resulted in savings of approximately $20 million including:
•Instituting strict hiring and purchasing controls.
•Reducing the County work force by eliminating 200 positions.
•Implementing groundbreaking employee health care cost cutting initiatives, including Medicare Advantage Plans and a Canadian Drug Purchasing Program.
•Implementing a child welfare management program that maintains the health and safety of children while realizing savings through cost effective programming and revenue maximization.
•Reducing the County vehicle fleet by 13%
•Implementing intergovernmental cooperative efforts.

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Keep the Scotia Post Office Open

The Village of Scotia is known for its quaintness and small-town charm and the Scotia Branch Post Office provides an invaluable service to the residents of the Village as well as serving as a hub of the community. The Scotia Branch Post Office has been a community fixture since its beginning as a WPA project in the 1930s and has provided a valued and vital service to the community ever since.

Now, the branch is one of more than 700 nationwide that could face closure, consolidation or reduction of services by the United States Postal Service.

Last month, County Legislature Chairwoman Susan E. Savage and County Legislators Dr. Brian Gordon and Marty Finn sponsored a resolution strongly urging the United States Postal Service to reconsider its proposal to close or consolidate the Scotia Branch Post Office and asking Representative Paul Tonko, Senator Charles Schumer and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand for their assistance in ensuring the Scotia Branch Post Office will remain open to serve the residents of the Village of Scotia.

Please join their effort to keep this postal branch open by signing this petition of support.

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Text messaging while driving ban goes state-wide

Recently, Governor David Paterson signed into law a state text messaging while driving ban. Dozens of upstate counties followed Schenectady County's lead and adopted county bans which led to the state law. The need for this important public safety measure has been supported by a report released by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI). The study showed that text messaging on a cell phone has the highest crash risk of all cell phone related tasks, with the risk of a crash or near crash 23.2 times higher while text messaging as compared to non-distracted driving.

Susan Savage, Chairwoman of the Schenectady County Legislature and sponsor of the County’s Text Messaging While Driving Ban said, “My goal has been to raise awareness to this dangerous and deadly behavior. With increased awareness, I hope that drivers will understand the dangers of text messaging while driving and will instead pull over or wait until they reach their destination before sending a text message.”

Nationally, Senator Charles Schumer is leading the fight to make this a federal law.

TONKO VOTES TO RESTORE FISCAL DISCIPLINE

Congressman Paul Tonko recently voted in favor of the restoration of PAYGO, which passed the House of Representatives. In 2002, the borrow-and-spend Republicans who controlled Congress let PAYGO expire and ran up major deficits.

“This legislation is very simple: Congress can only spend a dollar in one place if it saves it in another,” said Congressman Tonko. “Just as families cut back on eating at a restaurant to pay for a new amenity, Congress must make difficult balancing decisions. We need to confront the enormous deficits we’re facing, bring an end to years of fiscal irresponsibility, and put this country back on a fiscally sustainable path.”

Congressman Tonko added, “We must balance short-term deficit spending for the economic recovery with a commitment to restoring fiscal discipline in the long-term. The large deficits that we inherited from the previous administration as a result of the reckless borrow-and-spend policies have put pressure on funding for our important priorities, such as health care reform, clean energy and education. PAYGO will be a powerful impediment to reckless tax cuts financed by debt.”

For more information, click here.

Schenectady's Revitalization Continues

Recently, Schenectady Light Opera Company announced their plans for new performing arts center in the Arts and Entertainment district in downtown Schenectady. Susan E. Savage, Chair of the Schenectady County Legislature said, “Over the past several years we have worked with Proctors and others to build a thriving downtown arts and entertainment district. This project will be an excellent addition to that effort and will maintain the historical integrity of this beautiful building. I hope the community will join me in supporting the Schenectady Light Opera Company to bring this project to fruition.”

Watch the video of the annoucement below:

Schenectady County secures major economic development win

Schenectady County's unified economic development team scored a major win with General Electric announcing its plans to locate its state-of-the-art battery manufacturing plant on the GE Energy campus. The $100 million battery factory will bring 350 jobs to the county and expands the company's clean energy initiatives.

GE executives credited local officals for working to put this deal together. "Today's announcement is the result of strong, collective support for the plant by the union membership and local government officials," said Larry Blystone, vice president of Global Supply Chain for GE Energy. "The new battery facility represents an exciting new product line for GE and a significant reinvestment in the future of manufacturing in Schenectady."

Susan E. Savage, Chair of the Schenectady County Legislature said, "We worked very hard for more than twelve months to win this project. The new battery plant represents one of the largest investments in the history of Schenectady County. It positions our County to be a leader in renewable energy, an industry expected to create thousands of new jobs in the years ahead."

Watch the announcement below: