Next week, Orleans County Legislature Chair Dave Callard will deliver a “state of the county” address at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday. As usual, I will not attend because at 4:30 p.m., I am on my way home from work. Nonetheless, I am glad that Mr. Callard chose to present a state of the county and I am hopeful that he will make the full text of the address available shortly after he delivers it Wednesday.
It has been awhile since I wrote about county issues but that does not mean I have not been paying attention to what has been happening. I did write a long piece about the change in chairpersons, but shelved it, and I wrote another about an issue related to the county but actually called the following day to have it pulled at the last minute. Both were just too negative.
As a citizen of Orleans County, I want to see it succeed, and part of that success is dependent on the action or inaction of the county government. One of the things that has frustrated me the longest about most local governments is the finger-pointing. I realize that the Orleans County Legislature is not a fascist dictatorship, but they do have a measure of influence and control over the county and play an important role in taxation and economic development.
With that being said, I hope that Mr. Callard’s address is not just another lament that NYPA did not give us the power for Google or that the New York state government saddles the county with unfunded mandates. We all know that. What I want to hear is what the county government is going to do to make Orleans County better, how we can encourage economic growth or even just help support private employers in a way other than bribing them with unreasonable tax breaks.
Somehow, the county government needs to come up with solutions and not excuses, and in order for that to happen it must come from the top. If Mr. Callard dedicates his address to progress instead of problems, I will support him in his efforts. The harsh reality of the state of Orleans County is that fewer people are bearing a larger tax burden, which means job one is to stop people from leaving Orleans County and job two is trying to figure out how to get others to move here to increase the tax base.
The county government can address none of those issues if it throws its collective hands in the air and proclaims, “It’s not our fault.” If the state really wields that much power then one has to question why we have elected officials running the county government at all. Part of the role of our leaders is to inspire confidence.
Historically speaking, the greatest leaders are known for delivering messages of hope even in the darkest hours. Even though as a county we are not at our “darkest hour,” a little hope for the future would be nice.
Thom Jennings lives in Albion. For comments, write to holly.toal@journal-register.com. The Real Deal from Orleans County is now available as an audio podcast on iTunes.
