Supervisor Sweeton's State of the Town: Together, we can move Warwick forward
Editor’s note: The following are Warwick Supervisor Michael Sweeton’s 2008 “State of the Town” message. In 2007 Warwick continued to set high standards for municipal government through the joint efforts of a dedicated group of employees, progressive elected officials willing to forge strong relationships with our Villages and an informed electorate that are active stakeholders in our community. Public safety was improved with sorely needed renovations to our police department. New officers, new equipment and constant training continue to make our department one of the best in the county. Compliance with the National Incident Management system, a strong group of emergency service volunteers and continual testing of our phone alert system have increased the safety of our residents. Recreation continues to expand with the dedication of two new multi-function playing fields at Union Corners Park, the acceptance of bids for another field and the investment of recreation dollars in village projects. The transformation of the Thomas Morahan Waterfront Park continued with the expansion of the swim area, new lighting and the rebuilding of the jetty complete with a beautiful new sitting area. We continue to invest in and upgrade our infrastructure by rebuilding our roads, improving the storage and supply at our water districts as well as installing the first of several walking/biking lanes to improve pedestrian safety on our roads. In a public private partnership we created the Warwick Development Coalition to promote our town and attract businesses that can create jobs while easing the tax burden on our residential taxpayers. The town also streamlined the approval process for those businesses that meet the goals of our Comprehensive Plan. This past year the Town retired the development rights to six farms securing more than $4,000,000 from outside sources to complete the acquisitions.Our Community Preservation Fund has accumulated more than $500,000 to ensure our land preservation efforts continue to successfully secure our future. This year will present many challenges as costs continue to rise and demand for services increase but we can transform these challenges into opportunities with dedication, hard work and a commitment to cost effective government: We must continue to deliver essential services to our residents at the lowest possible cost. We must ensure that every decision we make has a clear benefit to our residents that is greater than the cost of that decision. We must continue our partnerships with our villages to avoid wasteful duplication of services and consolidate those functions that make sense for our taxpayers. We must invest wisely in recreation to create the greatest opportunities for our citizens without increasing the tax burden. We must complete our review of our Comprehensive Plan and revise our zoning code so that it continues to serve as an example of smart growth for the Hudson Valley. These revisions must protect our resources, improve our quality of life and must be fair to those who are here already as well as those who might wish to join our great community. We must continue to forge strong relationships with all parts of our town despite obstacles that surface from time to time for it is together that we will successful move our community forward. It is together that we will overcome challenges, keep the local tax burden in check and build a brighter future for our children. This Town Board and all our town employees look forward to the challenges ahead and to continuing to work hard on behalf of the residents of Warwick.