Democrat candidate for County Executive, long time Brighton Town Supervisor, Sandra Frankel, recently urged county leaders to publicly present their budget by October 11th to afford county residents an opportunity to vette their concerns over the way tax dollars are spent.
It has become customary during the tenure of current Republican County Executive Maggie Brooks, in conjunction with the Republican majority in the legislature, to present the budget for public consumption after the date of elections leaving virtually no time between presentation and adoption for the public to weigh in.
Frankel, referring to the timing of any Brooks budget presentation stated, “One can always use more time, but this was a convenient ploy to avoid hearing from the community about their priorities and concerns, and to avoid challenges to the budget plan”.
Moreover, Frankel stated that during her long and successful storied career as Brighton Supervisor, regardless of potential objections to her budget, especially during times of severe economic challenge, her budget has always been presented to the community no later than September 30th and has moved for adoption prior to the November elections. She has welcomed and embraced suggestions, concerns, and even objections to form consensus amongst passionate stake holders.
In what has become so sadly typical of the Brooks administration, County Communications Director, Noah Lebowitz, seemingly moonlighting on the public paid clock as the Brooks Campaign Public Relations Director, gave no specific time frame for the budget proposal release arrogantly stating that, “The budget will be released when it is ready.” Lebowitz further referred to the Frankel request for a consistent date for the release of a budget proposal to ensure community involvement in developing a sensible fiscal plan as, “the wailings of a politician desperate for attention.”
Although Monroe County has the second lowest credit rating amongst all counties in New York State and has become perilously close to the brink of insolvency at the hands of the Brooks regime, Lebowitz said that, “Sandy Frankel uses cheap political stunts to fabricate a concern where none exists.”
Mr Lebowitz’s statements do not seem to mesh with his job description of: “Serving as the vital link between local government and the people it serves, the Communications Department’s goal is to effectively communicate and promote government policies and programs. In turn, it listens and responds to the needs of its customers—thus building trust.”
If Mr Lebowitz can’t answer an inquiry as to when the budget will be proposed and neither he, nor the people he represents, can listen to our concern and desire to participate in the budget process then they have given further evidence as to why we can’t trust them or the political ally’s they represent.
However using the Lebowitz job description as a statement of purpose, we can trust Sandy Frankel given her indisputable record of compliance to principle, transparent governance, and passion to responsibly represent the will of the people. The Irondequoit Democratic Committee heartily endorses Sandy Frankel for Monroe County Executive and ask that you vote in November for Sandy to restore trust in our county.
