County Executive Bellone - Let The People Decide

I have introduced a resolution that asks the Suffolk County Legislature to allow the voters to decide in a referendum whether we should merge the offices of the Treasurer and Comptroller under the leadership of an elected Chief Financial Officer. This resolution will save taxpayer dollars, eliminate duplication and allow our government to deliver services more efficiently. I strongly believe that this merger should be YOUR decision.

The Suffolk County Legislature will be having a hearing on whether or not to allow this merger on the ballot this November and let YOU make the decision as to how you want to see Suffolk County move forward.  I encourage you to add your voice to the conversation in support of our agenda to reform.

Date:   Tomorrow, Monday, July 22, 2013

Time: 10AM

Location: Suffolk County Legislature, W.H. Rogers Legislature Building, 725 Veterans Memorial Highway Smithtown, NY 11787

Suffolk County is currently the only one of New York’s 62 counties which elects both a Treasurer and a Comptroller. In an editorial, Newsday wrote, “There’s a reason that 61 of New York’s 62 counties do not elect both a treasurer and a comptroller: To do so makes no sense. Suffolk is the one outlier, but County Executive Steve Bellone hopes to change that, with voter approval.”

Thank you for all your support. Together we will continue to reform Suffolk County government and stand up for taxpayers. 

Sincerely, 

Steve Bellone

Combining 2 Countywide Positions Not A Good Idea

Dear Suffolk County community members:

If you have not heard, a proposed plan to eliminate 2 Countywide elected Officials that presently answer directly to the people is coming up for a vote. This proposal will strongly decrease accountability. We as community members can help make a difference by informing the Suffolk County Legislature that we want them to vote “NO” to this proposal (IR#1567).

During these difficult economic times, we should not eliminate the checks and balances process. This process should be a non-partisan and non-political decision. As a Banker, for over 30 years, I believe strongly that checks and balances are vital and there should remain a separate Comptroller’s and Treasurer’s Office in Suffolk County. There needs to be independent oversight of its finances, having the jurisdiction for the money in the hands of one person.

The Suffolk County Treasurer’s Office with the Department of Finance and Taxation continues to serve the public with the utmost professionalism, courteousness and experience, despite the fact that staffing levels have decreased from 72 in the late ’80s to a current level of 40 full time employees with a drop again to 33 full time employees.

Some of the key responsibilities of the SUFFOLK COUNTY TREASURER are:

• CUSTODY OF ALL PUBLIC FUNDS BELONGING TO THE COUNTY as CHIEF INVESTMENT OFFICER serving over 1.5 million Suffolk County residents.
• MANAGING THE CASH and RECONCILING ALL COUNTY BANK ACCOUNTS,             less the Department of Social Services.
• MANAGING COUNTY PROPERTY TAX ASSESSMENTS.
• COLLECTS DELINQUENT REAL ESTATE TAXES as CHIEF TAX ENFORCING OFFICER.
• ENFORCES DUE DILIGENCE PROCESS OF CONTACTING EVERY PROPERTY OWNER TO ADVISE HIM/HER/BUSINESS THAT THEIR PROPERTY IS IN JEOPARDY OF FORECLOSURE. VITAL IN MANAGING REAL ESTATE TAX REVENUE FOR THE COUNTY. 
• ADMINISTER AND COLLECT ALL HOTEL/MOTEL TAX DUE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY, AGAIN VITAL IN MANAGING REVENUE FOR THE COUNTY.
• DEPOSITING ALL FUNDS AND MANAGING BANK DEPOSITS.

THESE RESPONSIBILITIES ARE JUST A FEW OF THE MAJOR JOB FUNCTIONS THAT THE SUFFOLK COUNTY TREASURER PERFORMS THAT ARE VITAL TO REMAIN INDEPENDENT.

SEE MORE INFORMATION AT: http://www.suffolkcountyny.gov/departments/treasurer.aspx#

Please consider attending this very important hearing tomorrow,

MONDAY, JULY 22, 2013 AT 10AM at the Suffolk County Legislature in Hauppauge and/or sending an email with your comments on IR#1567 to: Annmarie.pastore@suffolkcountyny.gov and

your Suffolk County Legislator at: http://legis.suffolkcountyny.gov/.

I appreciate your assistance, consideration and action regarding your response to this very time sensitive issue.

Please promote and spread the word to your fellow community members and Suffolk County Legislators to vote “NO” to the proposed merger and elimination of the Suffolk County Treasurer position and related layoffs.

Thank you

Sincerely,

Paul E. Borowski

A Very Concerned Suffolk County Resident

A Garden For Nissequogue River State Park

“Nature is always lovely, invincible, glad, whatever is done and suffered by her creatures. All scars she heals, whether in rocks or water or sky or hearts.” 
- John of the Mountains: The Unpublished Journals of John Muir, (1938), p. 337.

site of Healing GardenIt feels right. A healing garden and the Nissequogue River State Park (NRSP) go together like stamps on envelopes. They don’t just coexist, they fit. One completes the other.  The Nissequogue River State Park, located on the grounds of the former Kings Park Psychiatric Center, has a lot of history to overcome. The park is littered with dilapidated, deteriorating, graffiti laden buildings that once provided shelter to society’s most fragile and rejected people - those with mental disabilities.   Great brick buildings, dating back to the early 20th century that once exemplified strength and commitment, now are just hollowed out facades decaying and putrid. A reminder of just how fragile and difficult our world can be.

And yet the NRSP is undergoing a transformation, a blighted antiquated psychiatric

 center is being transformed. A park is taking shape. A marina is coming to life, buildings are being demolished,Finesse Landscape Design delivering boulders for the garden wild life is returning, and people are visiting. Hikers, bicyclists, walkers, runners, cross country skiers are returning and taking ownership of their park. The State, through funds secured by Senator John Flanagan, has been at work removing the most dangerous of the buildings from the property. There is more to be done, but there is hope where there hasn’t been hope in a long time. The NRSP Foundation, a group of local residents, has been prodding the State every step of the way to preserve the park with its beautiful vistas and open space and to turn it into a place of pride for the Kings Park community, Smithtown and New York State. 

Enter the Commack - Kings Park Rotary Club (CKPRC). Rotary is no stranger to offering hope. In fact, offering help and hope is what the Rotary is about. Whether it is fighting disease as in the eradication of polio, building

Finesse Landscape Design creating the focal point of the gardenwells in areas without clean water, providing heart surgery for children, Rotary is there helping people to help themselves. A healing garden to help people get through challenging times or just to reflect, a no-brainer for members of the  Commack - Kings Park Rotary Club. Teaming up with the Nissequogue River State Park Foundation (NRSPF) and working with New York State Office of Parks, Preservation and Historical Sites, the CKPRC, with a lot of help from professionals will be creating a garden at the NRSP. Joan G. McGillicuddy, Surrogate Gardener and breast cancer survivor, created and donated the design for the garden focusing on native species that would compliment the theme of healing, tranquility and nature. Eric Hagenbruch, a Saint James resident and owner of Finesse Landscape Design, donated all the work involved in the construction of the garden and more. Recognizing the beauty
Charles Reichert, owner of the Fort Salonga IGA kicked off fundraising with a $1000 donationand compatiblity of a tree at the site, Eric and his crew cleared the tree of weeds and overgrown foliage exposing a most beautiful and unusual tree aptly named by Eric “The Tree of Life”. Funding for the project came from donations from people throughout the town of Smithtown, with a major donation being made by Charlie Reichert of IGA. 

The healing garden will be completed in the next week with the dedication on Wednesday, July 31 at 7:15 pm. In conjunction with the dedication, there is a wine and cheese tasting event being hosted by the Commack - Kings Park Rotary Club. Funds raised at the event will be used to enhance the garden. Invitation

The “Healing Garden” is a gift to the people who visit the park. It is a gift of beauty and hope and it is a gift of serenity and unlimited possibility. 

Nissequogue River State Park is located at 799 Saint Johnland Road, Kings Park, NY 11754. It is open seven days a week from sunrise - sunset. There is a fee for parking. For information

Week 2 - Get Serious About Staying Healthy Fitness Plan

By Kia Edwards

As a trainer who mainly focuses on in-home exercise, I can tell you that a gym is not necessary to keep fit. A few pieces of basic equipment and a small space can help you achieve or maintain a healthy fitness level. This month, I’ll give you weekly exercise plans to help you reach your goals without having to go to the gym. They are simple, yet effective and can be done by nearly everybody.  Each workout should start with a short warm-up to get your muscles ready and end with a quick stretch.  

If you’re just starting, don’t worry!  It’s not too late to join.  Additionally, if you found week 1 to be particularly challenging, you can repeat it again this week in order to continue building necessary strength.  The workouts will become more challenging throughout the month.  Should you have any questions, please contact me at  HYPERLINK “mailto:Kia@LaFortesse.com” Kia@LaFortesse.com and I will respond as quickly as possible.  Good luck!  Here comes week 2!

What you’ll need: 

Dumb bells: 10-15lbs or Resistance Bands 

An exercise mat, preferably one with good padding to protect your back

Good sneakers 

Optional pieces: Exercise ball, Medicine Ball (8-12lbs typically work well),Jump rope 

Monday: Interval Training

First: Do a 5 minute warm up and stretch

Jump rope: 25 to 50 reps (start slowly then speed up as you become more comfortable)

Push-ups/ beginner push-ups: 12-15

stationary lunges (photo achesandjoints.org)Stationary Lunges: 12-15

Sit-ups (with or without medicine ball): 12-15

Leg Lifts: 12-15

Repeat

Tuesday: Rest with light stretching (You’re welcome)

Wednesday: Upper Body

Warm Up

Plank Hold (or beginner plank): 30sec

Bicep Curls: 15reps

Tricep Kickbacks: 15reps

Lateral Raises (use lighter weights and do not lift your arms past a horizontal position): 12-15reps

Repeat

Thursday: Cardio

30min of light cardio (your choice) 

Friday: Lower Body

Stationary lunges (feel free to use your weights): 15 on each leg

calf raises (photo slapdashmom.com)Calf Raises (with weights): 25

Lying Side Leg Raise 

Lie down on your side and let your head rest on your arm.  Slowly lift your leg as high as possible, pause, then slowly return to starting position:

20reps

Hip Raises 

Lie down facing the ceiling and bend your knees.  While keeping your feet flat on the floor, raise your hips and squeeze your glutes.  Return to starting position.

20reps  

Repeat 1x

Saturday: Cardio and light stretching

30min of light cardio

Sunday: Rest

Take it easy!

Kia Edwards is a certified personal trainer and nutrition specialist who lives in New York City. She studied French and Economics at Colgate University, spent 15 years as a high-level competitive gymnast and 6 years as a gymnastics coach.  Her business, La Fortesse At Home Fitness Training, helps clients get healthy with simple at home exercises and nutrition counseling. www.LaFortesse.com   

DiNapoli: Lax Board Oversight Allowed Former Village of Old Field Treasurer to Steal Nearly $60,000

DiNapoli: Lax Board Oversight Allowed Former Village of Old Field Treasurer to Steal Nearly $60,000 Poor oversight by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Old Field allowed its former Treasurer Andrea Brosnan to steal nearly $60,000 in village funds without detection, according to an audit released today by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. The findings of the audit were shared with Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas J. Spota whose office charged Brosnan with second-degree grand larceny, first-degree falsifying business records, defrauding the government and official misconduct on May 22.  Criminal proceedings are pending.  “The Village of Old Field learned a powerful lesson about what can happen when no one minds the store,” DiNapoli said. “The former treasurer controlled all the financial levers of this village and went on a spending spree, going as far as boosting her own pay. I applaud Suffolk County District Attorney Spota and his team for taking immediate action and holding this wrongdoer accountable for her actions. It is critical that Old Field officials take steps to ensure this never occurs again.”  “The defendant forged the Mayor’s signature on checks, she paid her personal utilities with money from village accounts, she bought merchandise with taxpayer dollars from Amazon and other firms that sell furniture, housewares and apparel, and she applied for and obtained unauthorized gas cards which she used to buy herself fuel, cigarettes, and food,” Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota said. “The lesson of State Comptroller DiNapoli’s thorough review is simple. Inattention is expensive.”  The audit examined the board’s oversight of village financial activities and the treasurer’s duties for the period January 1, 2009 to July 31, 2012. More than $46,000 in inappropriate cash disbursements and $13,000 in inappropriate payroll payments were made.  Auditors and investigators found the former treasurer falsified the signature of the mayor and deputy mayor and inappropriately cashed 36 petty cash checks, which she issued, of which $11,484 was misappropriated. In one case reviewed by the auditors, a check for $399 cashed by the former treasurer was supported by eight original receipts totaling $303 for postage related to mail packages sent to France; Portland, Oregon; and Costa Rica.    Additionally, 37 electronic disbursements totaling $11,596 were made from the village’s checking account to seven vendors who did not do business with the village. Though the former treasurer was the only individual with access to the accounting records, she claimed to not know who made or recorded the payments.    Auditors also found that the former treasurer: Used two gasoline cards, the existence of which village officials were not aware, for questionable expenditures totaling $11,348. Made 46 payments totaling $7,432 to an office supply company that were either unsupported or unrelated to village business. Purchases included packaged food, laundry supplies, a digital camera and DVD’s of children’s movies. Forty-one of the 46 payments had a “ship to” address of the former treasurer’s home.  Made 15 payments totaling $3,404 to a mail-order catalog company for purchases that included an air mattress, children’s clothing, cookbooks and Yankees paraphernalia.  The former treasurer was able to make and conceal 58 improper payments to herself totaling $12,862 for 607 hours not worked because the village allowed her to do all aspects of the payroll process.  The village allowed the former treasurer to do both bank reconciliations and maintain custody of its bank accounts.  As a result, it went undetected that 30 of 86 bank reconciliations did not balance and ten of the bank statements were altered to conceal improper payments through whiting out or missing sections.    The board did not perform any audits of the former treasurer’s financial records in 2011 or 2012. In addition, it did not receive complete, accurate and current financial information from the former or current treasurers.   Without timely and accurate financial information, the board is unable to adequately monitor and manage village operations.    DiNapoli’s office recommended more than a dozen steps the village must take to regain control of its finances. The village generally agreed with the findings, and its response is included in the audit.  To view the full audit report, click here:  http://www.osc.state.ny.us/localgov/audits/villages/2013/oldfield.htm     Anyone with additional information on this matter or any other public corruption is encouraged to contact the Comptroller’s office by dialing the toll-free fraud hotline at 1-888-672-4555; filing a complaint online at investigations@osc.state.ny.us; or mailing a complaint to: Office of the State Comptroller Investigations Unit, 110 State Street, 14th floor, Albany, NY 12236.