Referred to: The Public Health and Social Services Committee (Chairman Lopez and

Legislators Allen, Belfiglio, Litts, and Provenzano), and The Ways and Means

Committee (Chairman Gerentine and Legislators Bartels, Belfiglio, Briggs, Maio and

Maloney, Provenzano, and Rodriguez)

Legislator Jeanette Provenzano and Legislators Allen, Archer, Gerentine, Gregorius,

Lopez, Loughran, Maloney, Rodriguez, Ronk and Wishnick offer the following:

 WHEREAS, the Safety Net program is a State program not required or funded

by the Federal Government; and

 WHEREAS, the Safety Net program provides welfare benefits to able-bodied

single adults and others that are not eligible for the Federal Temporary Assistance for

Needy Families (TANF) program; and

 WHEREAS, New York State, unlike other States in the nation with identical

or similar programs, requires that most of the cost associated with the Safety Net

Assistance Program be funded through a local share creating a substantial unfunded

State mandate; and

 WHEREAS, as of January 1, 2011, the State of New York dramatically

lowered the State’s fiscal responsibility for the Safety Net program by shifting the

cost to 71% local and 29% State; and

 WHEREAS, a recent analysis completed by the New York State Association

of Counties indicates that the savings projected by State policy makers that the 71%,

29% funding shift, in conjunction with fully federalizing New York’s TANF

program, would generate up to $50 million annually in net cost reductions at the local

level did not materialize; and

 WHEREAS, the local share of the Safety Net program in Ulster County is

currently over $8 million annually, which represents a substantial burden on local

property taxpayers; and

 WHEAREAS, the steady pullback of State funding to support a number of

human services programs like the Safety Net program results in the State shifting its

constitutional responsibility away from progressive broad based taxes onto regressive

local property taxes; now, therefore be it

- Page 2 -

Resolution No. 82 March 18, 2014

Calling On The Ulster County Senate And Assembly Delegation To

Support The State Takeover Of The Safety Net Program Thereby

Relieving Ulster County Property Taxpayers Of This Unfunded

State Mandate

RESOLVED, that the Ulster County Legislature calls for our Senate and

Assembly delegation to advocate for the State takeover of the Safety Net program,

relieving Ulster County property taxpayers from this substantial unfunded State

mandate; and, be it further

 RESOLVED, that the Clerk of the Ulster County Legislature shall send

certified copies of this Resolution to New York State Senators John Bonacic,

William Larkin, James Seward, and Cecilia Tkaczyk, and New York State Assembly

Members Kevin Cahill, Peter Lopez, Frank Skartados and Claudia Tenney; and be it

further

 RESOLVED, that the Clerk of the Ulster County Legislature shall send a

certified copy of this resolution to each Town Clerk in Ulster County and to the

Mayor and Clerk of the City of Kingston for their memorialization,

and move its adoption.

ADOPTED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:

AYES: 21 NOES: 0

(Legislators Gregorius and Ronk exited Chambers

at 9:01 PM and returned at 9:04 PM)

Passed Committee: Public Health and Social Services on March 10, 2014

Passed Committee: Ways and Means on March 12, 2014

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

$5,818,645.00 – SAVINGS TO COUNTY, TOWNS AND CITY OF KINGSTON 

- Page 3 -

Resolution No. 82 March 18, 2014

Calling On The Ulster County Senate And Assembly Delegation To

Support The State Takeover Of The Safety Net Program Thereby

Relieving Ulster County Property Taxpayers Of This Unfunded

State Mandate

STATE OF NEW YORK

 ss:

COUNTY OF ULSTER

This is to certify that I, the undersigned Clerk of the Legislature of the County of Ulster have compared the

foregoing resolution with the original resolution now on file in the office of said clerk, and which was adopted by said

Legislature on the 18th Day of March, 2014, and that the same is a true and correct transcript of said resolution and of the

whole thereof.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and seal of the County of Ulster this 20th Day of March

in the year Two Thousand and Fourteen.

|s| Victoria A. Fabella

Victoria A. Fabella, Clerk

Ulster County Legislature