Government should always be looking at how it can help and be part of the solution. While county government has limited options when it comes to acting beyond the typically smaller scope of our responsibilities, the $40 million American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) package provided to York County by the federal government enables us to think big and act locally.
Last year, I voted to commit $27.5 million of these funds to be split evenly between our planned first responder training facility and substance use recovery treatment center. Both will help save lives, but the recovery center will be a literal lifeline for so many York County residents in need of treatment.
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Upcoming meeting agenda. Tune in via Zoom HERE. Had a blast promoting our Saco Holiday Festival and Parade of Lights live on Channel 8 as their Christmas Correspondent and Elf Reporter! Click below to watch! During the holiday season, it’s a natural time to reflect on how individuals and groups around you have impacted your life. The true spirit of the holidays is how much you give and give back, not how much you receive. That is true for family, but also nonprofit organizations making a difference directly or indirectly throughout your life’s journey.
While it’s easy to toss the annual year-end fundraising letters that cloud all our mailboxes in the recycle bin, each one represents an entity doing incredible work in an area of particular impact. I like to support organizations that have a boots on the ground approach to service. Nonprofits that are service providers directly engaged with those in need. Here are a few of the nonprofits I’m encouraging folks to support this holiday season that I have a connection with. This month the York County Commission voted to designate Oct. 28 as First Responders’ Day.
It’s so important that we take the time to appreciate the service of those who are on the front lines. Those who are first to the scene of a fire, first to get to your home to take you to the hospital, first to put themselves into harm’s way to protect you. It takes a special kind of person to step up and put the needs of the community first. These are the unsung heroes that never ask for recognition or want to be in the spotlight, but absolutely deserve it. We owe them so much more than our gratitude. One of my many goals as your county commissioner is to not only bring some added awareness of what is taking place at the county level, but also help the public understand more about what this position entails.
In many states, the role of a county commissioner is a very important one. Outside of New England, county government tends to play a larger role in everyday life than the municipal level. In some places, county government is responsible for things like maintaining roads and bridges, caring for our physical and mental health, administering our elections, ensuring public safety, strengthening environmental stewardship, and much more. At the other end of the spectrum, Rhode Island and Connecticut do not have county governments at all. One of the big items that the county commission does is hold tax abatement denial appeal hearings with parties from both the town and taxpayer coming before us to make their case. It’s my role to weigh the facts and determine an outcome that is in line with our obligations set forth by the state. In this case, pushing back on town officials to protect taxpayers through no fault of their own. |
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July 2024
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