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Mike Semo Bids Farewell to Legislature
After 23 years, longest serving member retires
by Margaret Sternberg
 | | Legislator Semo accepting a plaque of appreciation from Legislature Chairman Dan Birmingham |
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His voice breaking, Legislator Mike Semo at times struggled as he bade a dignified and bittersweet farewell to his colleagues on the Putnam County Legislature during its December 5, 2006 monthly meeting.
Semo spoke, with pride, of the transformation the County has undergone over the more than two decades of his service, touching upon the County’s more recent achievements, such as the new courthouse, and of accomplishments that took years to achieve: the increasing amount of land devoted to “open space.”
Semo said that he had tried, as a Legislator, to emulate Congressman Hamilton Fish, a man he described as “progressive and productive…and had purpose and was able to articulate the views of his constituency at all levels of society…”
Semo shared credit for his successes with his staff, other legislators, the Administrations he has served with, while also singling out several individuals by name.
Semo also touched upon the recent debacle of the County tax increase, saying that the real challenge facing the County is in retaining the “beautiful, rural quality we’ve all come to love in our county, while…realizing that the needs of the County and the demand for services are ever-increasing. The real challenge is to…’recognize the strong demand for services, while, at the same time, realizing that we must never forget the taxpayers’ ability or lack of ability to pay for those services.’ “
Semo closed by thanking his family for their support and dedication, saying that it was not the end of his career as a public servant because he still felt he had more to give back to the County and thanking the people for the honor of having allowed him to serve as their Legislator.
Legislature Chairman Dan Birmingham had earlier noted a number of Semo’s accomplishments, calling him “instrumental” in the defeat of the placement of the regional landfill in the Town of Patterson in 1989 and 1990, in the formation of Putnam County’s Narcotic Task Force, and in the reconstruction of the current County Courthouse, which is the second longest-serving active courthouse in NYS. Birmingham also noted Semo’s role in the construction of the County’s Emergency Operations Center, the implementation of the County’s “911” system and in the construction of the new courthouse, adding that the items he had mentioned represented only a small portion of the issues Semo had been involved with.
Birmingham presented Semo with a plaque honoring his years of service. In a small ceremony following Semo’s speech, Stan Khan, Chairman of the Coordinating Council for People with Disabilities, and Steve Unger, incoming Chairman, presented Semo with a Certificate of Appreciation for his work with and for the organization.
Semo’s colleagues followed, expressing, in various forms, accolades and their gratitude for his tutelage when they were fledglings on the Legislature and their appreciation of him as a colleague.
The Legislature then moved on to their regular monthly business which included extending, until January 19, 2007, repayment of the $5 million principal used to buy the Putnam National Golf Course and the approximately $300,000 in interest currently owed.
The local law establishing the salary, effective January 1, 2007, for the County Executive was approved, as was a resolution covering salaries for officers and employees paid from County funds (County employees.)
A resolution allowing the Commissioner of Highways, on behalf of the County, to enter into an inter-municipal agreement with the Town of Somers to “share resources in the undertaking of public works and other municipal projects and services…in response to emergency situations” was approved. The following requests - all, with no fiscal impact - were approved: a transfer to fund the Town Hall Pandemic Flu meeting held November 2, several transfers funding road patrol overtime, and temporary personnel hired and equipment purchases related to a Cities Readiness Initiative Grant.
Two separate resolutions were passed amending the Putnam County Code to increase and modify income eligibility levels of certain people for partial exemption from real property taxes. One resolution applied to people with disabilities who have limited incomes; the other, to those age 65 or older.
Additional approvals with no fiscal impact included funding for recycling/litter cleanup promotional materials, for full-time personnel to cover an unpaid maternity leave, and two resolutions related to the Septic Repair Program.
The Committee also approved transfers to cover the cost of flu vaccine, for the purchase of diagnostic equipment, for the hook-up of the emergency generator at the Koehler Center, for the cost of advertising for the Household Hazardous Waste Day and to cover the increased cost of gasoline for an early intervention program at a private institution and preschool care at a private institution, three resolutions for road patrol overtime, for the purchase of inventory items, for overtime to cover a striping detail, to cover a shortfall in road patrol gasoline and for car insurance.
Among transfers that had fiscal impact was a $21,000 used from the DWI Reserve to purchase a mobile license plate reader to be shared by four law enforcement agencies, $30,000 from the Contingency Fund to cover the Court-appointed legal defense of indigents, $40,000 from the Contingency Fund for gasoline and motor oil and $50,000 from the Contingency Fund to the Law Department.
The appointment of Joyce Morin, of Kent, to the Putnam County Historic Preservation Advisory Commission for a three year term was made and Captain Thomas Lindert was re-appointed to the Putnam County Traffic Safety Board for a one-year term.
The January 2007 meeting of the Putnam Legislature will be posted on the PCN&R’s website as soon as it becomes available.
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