Message from Nat Prentice

Dear Putnam County Business Community,

In his first-ever State of the County address, Putnam County Executive Kevin Byrne looked inward and provided a clear vision of what he believes good government should look like. Over the course of the address, he received lots of positive feedback and applause from those in attendance as he repeatedly underscored the relentlessness of his administration’s search for increased accountability, accessibility and transparency in its operation.

He also looked outward and commented on the County’s on-going and sometimes “bumpy” dialogue with New York State (NYS). As a former State Assemblyman, Byrne has experience working with NYS officials so it was with all seriousness and purpose that he lashed out at certain of Governor Hochul’s recent proposals stating that “Devastating policies are emerging from this year’s state budget process, and it is imperative that we ask you to push back on the Governor’s overreach to override local zoning and decision making, as well as her plan to divert federal Medicaid dollars from those most vulnerable in our community.”

Details of the Governor’s proposal to divert federal Medicaid dollars were revealed in her 2024 Executive Budget Proposal, in which she seeks to restructure the method by which Affordable Care Act (ACA) enhanced Federal Medical Assistance Program (eFMAP) dollars are shared with localities. If enacted, this would be a significant break from a 20-year history of sharing federal Medicaid dollars with the counties and threaten to cut off hundreds of millions of dollars across New York. In most other states, social safety net services are paid for entirely by federal and state governments. In New York, state mandates associated with the Medicaid program exceed federal mandates, increasing costs of services administered and paid for, in part, by local property tax dollars. Changing the federal Medicaid formula would increase this burden, forcing counties across the state to find other sources of revenue, including property tax increases, or cuts to “non-essential” services, to fund these programs.

Byrne has on previous occasions urged Putnam County’s state legislators to join with county leaders in opposition to this proposal and stated that he looks forward to working with his former colleagues to propose a new budget plan. Prior to serving as Putnam County Executive, Byrne was the ranking member of the Assembly’s Health Committee, a member of the Way & Means Committee and member of New York State’s Council on Health Care Financing.

County Executive Byrne issued a clear call to action in his State of the County Address and as a strong voice for the interests of the business and non-profit community, the Putnam County Business Council will be assisting the County Executive’s Office in urging Governor Hochul not to divert federal Medicaid money away those that need it most.

Nat Prentice
President, Putnam County Business Council

Elected Officials

Letter to Governor Hochul About Diverting Medicaid Dollars

The letter opposing the Governor’s proposal can be found here.

Nat Prentice
President, Putnam County Business Council

Wednesday, March 22nd, 1pm ET

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