11%,butnolayoffsplanned
consolidationsanincreasingchallenge. “Ihaveforwardedtothegovernor’sstaff penaltiesandinterestonlong-outstanding
(Seerelatedarticles,pages12and14.) thenamesofmorethan625PEFmembers statetaxliabilitiestoencourageindividuals
whohaveexpressedaninterestin toresolveunpaidclaims.Forassessments
Moreideas? receivingthestate’s$20,000severanceor betweenthreeandsixyearsoverdue,
Thegovernorhadaskedstatelegislators VRWSinformation,”Bryniensaid. penaltieswouldbereducedby50percent.
tosuggestotherwaystoclosethedeficit, “Wealsoarereviewingthemany Forassessmentsoverduemorethansix
buthadfewreplies. suggestionsmembershavemadetoreduce years,penaltieswouldbereducedby80
However,stateSenateRepublicansdid unnecessarystatespendingandwill percent.
makerecommendationsincludingoneto includethoseideasforwhichwecanverify “Thisinitiativewouldprovidemuch-
consolidate41variousstateagencies, potentialstatesavingsinareportwewill neededrevenuetothestate,whilehelping
departments,divisions,officesandothers issueandsharewiththegovernor’soffice taxpayersrepairtheircredithistoriesand
into10megaagencies.Theyestimated beforetheendoftheyear.” avoidcostlylegalaction,”Patersonsaid.
suchconsolidationscouldsave$266 PatersonpraisedPEF’sresponsiveness ThegovernorisaskingtheLegislatureto
million. andcooperationindealingwiththefiscal passthisplantoprovidealimited
Patersonhasrepeatedlycalledforstate crisis. forgivenessperiodfromJanuary15to
agenciestocontinueofferingthe$20,000 March15,2010.Localgovernmentswould
severancebuyouttoemployeeswillingto Moretax,fraudcollections receiveafiscalbenefitofapproximately$84
leavestateservice. Somestateagenciesmayfindtheir millionfromtheirshareofthesepreviously
“Wewelcomethecallforflexibilityinthe workloadincreasedbythegovernor’splan. uncollectedtaxes.Recurringsavingswould
governor’seffortstobroadentheseverance Forinstance,thestateDepartmentof accrueduetoexpandedvoluntary
buyoutandvoluntaryreductioninwork TaxationandFinance(T&F)wouldbe complianceeffortsintheout-years.
schedule(VRWS)programs,”Bryniensaid. responsibleforadministeringatax- PEFmemberswhohelpthestate
PEFtookthegovernoruponhis penalty-forgivenessprogramthegovernor investigateandprosecuteMedicaidfraud
invitationtosuggestwaysthestatecould hopeswillactuallyboosttaxcollectionsby willalsoseethateffortintensified.
savemoneyorimproverevenues,and $250millioninthecurrentfiscalyearand Paterson’splanprojectsrecoveriestotalling
Patersonpraisedtheunionforits another$100millionfor2010-11. anadditional$150millioninthecurrent
cooperation. T&Fwouldpartiallyforgiveaccrued fiscalyear.
AlbanyCo.
Probation
officersfight
furloughs
STORYANDPHOTOSbyDARCYWELLS
AlbanyCountyprobationofficers
testifiedatagrievancehearinginOctober
detailinghowarecentlyimposedunpaid
furloughplanviolatestheircontract.
OnSeptember22theybroughttheir
fighttothefrontdoorofthecounty
executive’sAlbanyofficeinajointrally
TAKINGASTAND—AlbanyCountyprobationofficerscramthesidewalkoutin
withmembersoftheCivilService
frontofthecountyexecutive’sofficetoprotestfurloughs.
EmployeesAssociation.
“Probationisthemostcosteffective theworkweek,”saidRegion8Coordinator
Now,thecountyexecutivehasincluded
sanctionavailabletothecourts,allowing BillWurster.
layoffsinhisbudgetproposal,including
taxpayerssignificantfinancialsavingseach “Itviolatestheprovisionstheyare
theeliminationofaprobationassistant.
year.” guaranteedundertheircontract,whichis
“CutsintheDepartmentofProbation
PEFPresidentKenBryniensentaletter thebasisofourgrievance.”
meancutstosafety,”saidEricMantey,
tothecountyexecutiveoutliningthesafety “Probationplaysanintegralroleinthe
PEFDivision502councilleader.
risksasaresultofthefurloughsand safetyofthecommunityandit’svisitors,”
Manteypointedouttheprobation
layoff. Manetyadded.
departmentactuallysavestaxpayer
Thefive-dayfurloughisspreadoutover Probationofficershavebeenworking
dollars.
thelastfivemonthsoftheyearand underanexpiredcontractsinceDecember
“It’srightinthecountybudget,”Mantey
amountstoasalarycutof1.9percent. 31,2008.Contractnegotiationsbeganlast
w
sa
w
id
w
.
.pef.org
“Thefurloughsalteredworkhoursand
Th
A
e
u
C
g
o
u
m
st
m
.
unicatorNovember2009—Page5
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