State official hears concerns about cuts, mandate relief in Lowville

LOWVILLE — Housing funding cuts and mandate relief were among the topics heard by a state official here following her presentation on the governor’s budget proposal.

“Instead of administering programs, we’re spending a lot of time fighting for our existence,” Cheryl L. Shenkle-O’Neill, executive director of Snow Belt Housing Co., told Dierdre K. Scozzafava, deputy secretary of state for local government, Friday afternoon in the legislative chambers at the old Lewis County Courthouse.

Ms. Shenkle-O’Neill commended Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo for proposing to increase funding for the Rural Rental Assistance program. “That’s critical to keep seniors in their homes,” she said.

However, Ms. Shenkle-O’Neill complained about a proposal to eliminate funding for Rural and Neighborhood Preservation programs, noting her nonprofit agency uses roughly $57,000 per year to cover administrative costs and leverage other funding sources, particularly federal programs.

“Don’t eliminate the delivery system that allows the state to receive the federal money,” she said.

Ms. Shenkle-O’Neill also noted that Lewis County received one Community Development Block Grant through the new regional economic development council system of awarding funds, but other housing funds applied for were not awarded.

“They favored the larger communities,” Ms. Shenkle-O’Neill said. “In Lewis County, we got virtually nothing.”

“We’ll take your comments back to the administration,” Ms. Scozzafava said.

She also recommended lobbying both state legislators and the regional economic development council on the importance of housing funds to the area.

County Legislator Philip C. Hathway, R-Harrisville, said he appreciated the governor’s talk of providing mandate relief by proposing to cut the growth of Medicaid costs to counties and offer pension reforms intended to provide future relief.

“But it would have been nicer to have immediate help rather than down the road,” he said.

Gov. Cuomo will be pushing state lawmakers to vote on some type of mandate relief bill, based on input from local officials from throughout the state, by the end of this legislative session, Ms. Scozzafava said.

She encouraged county officials to voice their opinions when a state Mandate Relief Committee holds a pair of north country sessions in March.

Officials from both the county and Lewis County General Hospital also questioned the need for escalating state retirement system costs.

Denmark Town Supervisor Patrick F. Mahar expressed the need for state legislation allowing towns to designate roads that don’t meet state highway standards as “low volume” to reduce maintenance costs during the winter. “That will be a big economic savings,” he said.

The proposed legislation for the past several years has failed to get beyond the committee level, so the governor’s help in moving it along would be appreciated, Mr. Mahar said.