SMITH INTRODUCES PLAN TO MAKE POSITION PART TIME WHEN ELECTED

PRESS RELEASE FROM CHRIS SMITH 

In light of the newly released supervisor’s budget, it’s clear that Orangetown needs innovative, out-of-the-box ideas to boost our local government’s effectiveness, while also consolidating it to relieve the burden on taxpayers. Our town has glaring financial troubles, and we need to elect forward thinking people to office; those who are willing to make sacrifices for the benefit of the general public.

For this reason, I recently successfully campaigned for the referendum to eliminate the position of “the Receiver of Taxes” after this term.  Additionally, it is why I have decided when elected, I will take a 50% pay cut on the first day.

I will create a part time position within the Office of the Receiver of Taxes, (outside of tax collection season) in order to ease the costs to taxpayers. Part-time staffing is an idea that has been embraced successfully by other towns, and it simply makes common sense: if additional staff is unnecessary, then why waste taxpayers’ money?

My campaign has been founded upon the principle of eliminating the office of Receiver of Taxes, and the Town Council has unanimously passed a resolution that will put a referendum on the November ballot allowing Orangetown citizens to vote on consolidating the office with the Town Clerk’s office, a move that could save taxpayers hundreds of the thousands of dollars. Furthermore, my plan to reduce the Receiver of Taxes’ salary by 50% and creating a part-time office (except for tax season) would save additional tens of thousands of dollars to the residents of Orangetown.

We are all in a time of economic difficulty, and we all love Orangetown.  I am willing to make a personal sacrifice for this town, and promise to be an elected official people will appreciate.  It’s time for change and forward thinking in an effort to find ways to save our taxpayers money.

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