Last week I had the opportunity to meet with Stu Stein, who was chair of this body from 1994 to 1996.  We talked about the initiatives he and the board of the '90's worked on. I realized that many things we take for granted today were “problems” that the legislature had tackled back then. For example, how can we stimulate economic development, enhance intermunicipal cooperation, or improve relations with our local colleges? Today, we depend on TCAD's leadership in stimulating business growth and retention. Through the Tompkins County Council of Governments all the county's municipalities are working together on common goals. And as for higher education, this past year Cornell University, the City of Ithaca, and Tompkins County together established the Housing Fund, our unique partnership working to create more affordable housing.

My conversation with Stu helped me recognize that, as slowly as government sometimes seems to move, we can make things happen when we have a goal and work toward it together. As I thought about the solutions county government had been part of, over the years, I wondered what solutions we might create, that future legislators will take for granted.

Our budget challenge will certainly be the number one issue this year. How we address it could shape county government, and in many ways Tompkins County itself, for years to come. So we must find new ways to think about our programs and organize our work. Joe is developing a roadmap to look ahead three years, longer than we've managed to do before, and that's a good thing.

But I submit that three years is not long enough. This economy will improve. We will see employment rise and sales tax receipts with it. And most importantly, if we make the right investments – even now, when it's hardest to do – we will position our community to rebound ahead of the curve and be ready for even better things in the future.

We have solved very difficult problems before. As a result of this county's consistent innovation and creativity, it is not a stretch to say we are seen as a "leadership county" by others. We initiate programs that other counties often join in or try to emulate. A few examples of this, going back years, are county-wide assessment, the Municipal Electric and Gas Alliance, and organizing other counties to fight unfunded state mandates.

New York State recognizes this leadership as well. When they wanted to try out a new kind of justice court, the state's highest judge knew that Tompkins County would be a good testing ground. Our Department of Social Services was asked to be one of the first to pilot online applications for DSS benefits. Our Planning Department, Solid Waste division, Youth Services Department, and airport have all received national accolades in recent years for their innovative work, to name just a few.

So how will we invest our precious resources – people, time, political will, and money --  to prepare for a better future? I think these are some of the next challenges that will demand our leadership:

• Gas drilling will, quite possibly, transform our region. Our grassroots community is providing statewide leadership and TCCOG has brought municipalities together to speak with one voice. I've asked Carol Chock to be the point person on this issue help the county work with others to protect the land and the way of life we hold dear.

• Global warming is every bit a local problem and our Planning Department is leading the effort on many fronts. For example they're working to create a “green loan” program, with the potential to insulate and weatherproof thousands of buildings and create hundreds of jobs. As with many of their initiatives, they are seeking outside resources to leverage our own.

• As we meet tonight, between the anniversaries of Martin Luther King's birthday and the inauguration of President Barack Obama, we recognize the need to improve the diversity of our workforce. Especially when hiring is very limited, we must find ways to get better results. Last year Cornell grad students studied our records and identified specific areas we can target, and we need to act on their recommendations.

• Our tourism program – another unique program in the state – would be even stronger with the kind of professional focus that the Convention and Visitors Bureau has long provided to the marketing effort. This is the year we will make that happen.

• Paula Younger, our Deputy County Administrator, will focus her impressive skills on securing outside grants and other resources. Her sights are already set on rural broadband service.

• Tompkins County should work to become an even stronger voice in our larger neighborhood, within NYSAC and with state government. At every level we must continue to lobby for issues we care about. The best defense is a good offense, and we will work to make sure our voice is heard.

Even while the unprecedented budget gap will force us to make hard choices, let us not forget the importance of investing in our future. Every other county faces similar choices. How we respond could have ripple effects if we find creative solutions that others find worth emulating.

With Joe's and Jim's leadership, we will get through our immediate budget woes. I'm confident that this body will take pains to consider the fairness, the immediate impact, and the future ramifications of each choice we make. It is crucial to be as informed as possible when making these hard choices. That is why I have invited our department heads to take turns making presentations about their programs, at each of our legislature meetings this year. I believe it will be time well-spent.

To Joe and our staff, to legislators and agencies, to volunteers and the public: we will need the help of each of you in the coming year to navigate these tough times.

But we can do this. The ingenuity, the generosity, the passion for what we do, are not just hallmarks of Tompkins County government. They are essential qualities of Tompkins County's people. These qualities frequently put our community on the “top ten” lists of places to live. These qualities help lure people like Joe Mareane and his family here, from a secure job where his boss asked him to stay. We must nurture these qualities. This economic slump won't last forever. It is our job to steer a course through it, and position our community for even better things in the days and years to come.

Thank you.

Tompkins County Legislature