FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Thursday, May 16, 2013

Inaction by Majority Leadership on Nursing Home Requires $2.2 Million Move

County Executive Daniel P. McCoy today announced that the administration has submitted a request for $2.2 million in funding to be moved from a contingency fund in the budget to enable the Albany County Nursing Home to meet payroll and other expenses for the month of July. This is required due to the decision by majority leadership to table the discussion of the County Executives lease agreement with Upstate Services Group and send it back to committee. Inaction by majority leadership means that months spent trying to put a lease deal together to meet a July deadline has gone nowhere, said McCoy. This action only ensures that employees and residents alike will endure more uncertainty in the short term. The Request for Legislative Action is required because after the legislature failed to take decisive action during the budget process, the County Executive negotiated an agreement whereby funding for nursing home operations for the second half of the year would be placed in contingency. Unfortunately, the legislature again failed to act, and the funds must now be accessed. This is not about politics or who controls the agenda, McCoy said. In order to ensure that the residents of the nursing home remain in their home, I have requested that the legislature extend funding for an additional month. If the legislature chooses not to act, I will do everything in my power to ensure that our residents are cared for. Its time for the legislature to embrace the solution to this issue. The solution is the lease proposal with USG. The residents deserve our best effort, as do the employees and county residents. ###
Mary Rozak Director of Communications Office of the Albany County Executive 112 State Street, Room 825 Albany, NY 12207 tel 518.447.7040 ext. 7218 cell 518.368.9528

fax 518.447.5589 mary.rozak@albanycounty.com www.albanycounty.com