NYSAC graph showing trends in sales tax collection for New York There is no question Chemung County, like all counties in New York, faces very serious fiscal impacts from COVID-19 and the "New York Pause" program created to respond to the virus. Local officials in Chemung County, including Chemung County Treasurer Jennifer Furman and Chemung … Continue reading Starting to bring the fiscal impact of COVID-19 on Chemung County into focus
Author: chemungcountymatters
How to participate in and listen to legislature meetings
Image: Time Like all entities, the Chemung County Legislature has been forced to adapt its practices to meet the challenges presented by COVID-19 and the social distancing measures currently in place. Under ordinary circumstances, New York's Open Meetings Laws (OML) requires elected bodies to allow members of the public to attend meetings, and the rules … Continue reading How to participate in and listen to legislature meetings
Proposed local resolution at odds with state, national cooperation efforts
Image: NBC News At a special meeting of the Health and Human Services Committee this upcoming Monday evening, the Chemung County Legislature will consider a resolution opposing an Executive Order by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo that requires hospitals and other medical facilities to inform New York's Department of Health (NYDOH) of the amount of … Continue reading Proposed local resolution at odds with state, national cooperation efforts
Updated COVID-19 information for Chemung County residents
As a disclaimer, my name is Christina Sonsire. I am the author of the Chemung County Matters blog, an information-sharing site I created in December 2017. The information in this post is true to the best of my knowledge and is based on what I have learned both firsthand from local officials and by closely … Continue reading Updated COVID-19 information for Chemung County residents
Information for Chemung County residents regarding the Legislature, CCIDA and disaster relief for businesses
Image: San Bernadino County I imagine that when all of this passes, Webster's Dictionary will have a new "Word of the Year" that none of us have heard because it does not yet exist within our lexicon. Crazy, unbelievable, incredible, overwhelming - none of these words quite capture the feelings we all have right now … Continue reading Information for Chemung County residents regarding the Legislature, CCIDA and disaster relief for businesses
It’s time for substantive work within the Chemung County Legislature
I decided to run for the Chemung County Legislature in order to use my background and experience to try to make a difference for our community. Running in 2018 when many great economic development projects were beginning to take shape and most legislative candidates were expressing a desire to bring about meaningful change to the … Continue reading It’s time for substantive work within the Chemung County Legislature
Community discussion of the Nursing Facility needs to start now
Image: Star Gazette The Chemung County Skilled Nursing Facility, located in downtown Elmira, is a healthcare facility owned and operated by Chemung County that provides long-term, inpatient, skilled nursing services to residents who have chronic, debilitating illnesses or require inpatient rehabilitation services. With the capacity to employ approximately 300 people and house up to 200 … Continue reading Community discussion of the Nursing Facility needs to start now
Looking ahead to a new year in the Chemung County Legislature
Image: WENY 2019 was an interesting year for Chemung County government. With new people serving in scores of critical roles - including County Executive, Deputy County Executive, County Treasurer, County Attorney, Legislative Attorney, Sheriff, Industrial Development Agency Director, IT Director, Aviation Director, Department of Social Services Director, Sewer District Director, Legislative Chairperson, Legislative Clerk as … Continue reading Looking ahead to a new year in the Chemung County Legislature
Proposed Local Law to prohibit private discussions of public business
Three members of the Chemung County Legislators - Bill McCarthy, Bob Briggs, and I - submitted a law to the legislative chairperson that would prohibit the private discussion of public business when a quorum (majority) of the Chemung County Legislature is present. We would like this measure to be placed on the Legislature's Agenda, most … Continue reading Proposed Local Law to prohibit private discussions of public business
Transparency in the Chemung County Legislature? We can do much better.
Image: Star Gazette If Webster's Dictionary had identified a "Word of the Year" for Chemung County in 2018, it undoubtedly would have been "transparency." With contested races for county executive and nearly all legislative seats, many candidates sought to distinguish themselves by talking about how "transparent" they would be if elected. Live-streaming of meetings? All … Continue reading Transparency in the Chemung County Legislature? We can do much better.