Greenburgh Area Residents Consider Changes to Fire Districts

FAIRVIEW FIRE DISTRICT TO MEET TONIGHT AT 8:15 PM---19 ROSEMONT BLVD….CITIZENS OBJECTING TO PROPOSED NEW EXECUTIVE DEPUTY CHIEF POSITION THAT IS NOT NEEDED

GOVERNOR CUOMO LEADING FIGHT TO REDUCE LAYERS OF GOVERNMENT IN NEW YORK STATE. GOVERNOR REMINDED WESTCHESTER LEADERS YESTERDAY THAT CITIZENS CAN DEMAND A REFERENDUM TO CONSOLIDATE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.

SHOULD FAIRVIEW FIRE DEPARTMENT BE CONSOLIDATED WITH HARTSDALE?   WOULD YOU SUPPORT A PETITION DRIVE?

IF GOVERNOR CUOMO BECAME A FIRE CHIEF IN GREENBURGH HIS SALARY WOULD GO UP!

Milt Hoffman, a coordinator of the Fairview Fire district citizens monitoring committee, has asked that I notify subscribers of the towns e list that the Fairview Fire District Board of Commissioners will hold a meeting tonight at 8:15 PM  at 19 Rosemont Blvd. The Monitoring Committee has started collecting petition signatures from residents asking that the proposed  new Executive Deputy Chief position not be created (would cost taxpayers six figures).  Citizens who support the petition drive  also believe that instead of having three paid fire chiefs in unincorporated Greenburgh that the Chief serve more than one district or that the fire districts be consolidated.   A few years ago the Wall Street Journal reported that the three paid Fire Chiefs in Greenburgh earn more than the NYC Fire Chief. If the Governor of New York State would change jobs and become a Fire Chief in Greenburgh his salary would go up!

Yesterday, I attended an event with Governor Andrew Cuomo. The Governor made a very inspiring speech to over 400 business leaders –highlighting the need to reduce layers of government.  He discussed an initiative he led in 2009 empowering citizens to petition for a referendum that could lead to consolidation of governments. The passage of the new NY Government Reorganization and Citizen Empowerment Act provides a process for citizens to petition for a public vote on consolidating local governments.  A link to the Citizens Guide to Petitioning for Local government consolidation is posted  below.

http://www.dos.ny.gov/lg/publications/CitizenGuidetoPetitions.pdf

I am seriously considering organizing a petition drive to consolidate the Fairview and Hartsdale Fire departments.  One chief…same number of fire houses…reduced administrative expenses.  10% of the voters would have to sign a petition seeking a referendum.  What are your thoughts?

Paul Feiner

FIRST TWO SENTENCES OF WALL STREET JOURNAL ARTICLE FROM 2010

Report: Chiefs in Greenburgh, N.Y., Earn More Than Counterparts in Bigger Cities

By

Michael Corkery

Updated Nov. 17, 2010 12:01 a.m. ET

Chiefs in three fire districts in Greenburgh, N.Y., earn an average of $207,358, as much as 30% more than their peers in larger cities such as New Rochelle, according to a report by a citizens' group that wants to combine some administrative functions to save money.

To put their pay in perspective, the chief of the New York City fire department, one of the largest and busiest in the world, earns $192,000 a year.