Know When And Why To Say ‘No!’

by Contributor | August 21, 2018 1:23 pm

To The Editor:
Know that it is not my money; it is the taxpayers’ money.

Know if the money being spent at the county level isn’t to supply a direct service to the taxpayers of Oswego County the vote is no.

At the August 9 Legislative meeting in Pulaski, after voting no on several resolutions that were either mandated by the courts or other contractual reasons, I was asked if I understood that these were issues that required a yes vote.

I then said, “I can vote no on anything.”

It is my feeling that just because the state or courts mandate the spending, if I don’t agree with it, I should and do vote no.

If these mandates are spending money on issues that are draining the savings account of the taxpayers of Oswego County and not supplying a service to the taxpayers, I feel I have a right to vote no.

I voted no on spending $128,000 to pay an expert to tell us how much space we need to store documents in a (virtual) building that we don’t know how we are going to pay for.

Will we pay for the expansion of one building or build another one?

Not mandated. Genius!

I voted no (so did the entire Minority caucus plus one Republican ) on hiring a director ($35,000 in 2018 but $95,000 every year after that) for a department that doesn’t exist, to fill a position that was eliminated more than 10 years ago because it wasn’t needed.

Not mandated. Genius!

I voted no on a court ordered service to give individuals that had been arrested but required psychiatric treatment and incarceration separate from the general population in the county jail until their trial.

Cost is $300,000.

I feel that this is an expense that should be paid for by the state.

Mandated! Genius.

I voted no on a contractual obligation on vacation buy back spending ($2,000). I feel that vacations were fought very hard for and therefore should be taken and not lost if they are not taken.

Contractual!

I voted no on a resolution to purchase furniture for DSS ($6,400).

Not Mandated!

I voted no on a resolution asking for a bailout ($25,000) of poor management decisions for the fourth time in three years.

Not Mandated! Genius.

I voted no on a resolution for additional hours in Administration ($2,000).

Not mandated!

I voted yes to a resolution for paving and road construction ($1.5 million).

Not mandated! Service for the taxpayers.

I know when to vote no and when to vote yes.

Frank Castiglia Jr.
D – District 25 – Oswego County Legislature

Source URL: https://oswegocountytoday.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/know-when-and-why-to-say-no/

---