ELMIRA, N.Y. -- New York State Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos says Chemung County is only slightly different from his native Nassau County.
“We don't have the land. We don't have the lakes. We do have the ocean, which is beautiful. But this is an absolutely beautiful place to live," said Skelos.
…Where he says people want the same things as people in the rest of New York.
"They want to make this state more affordable. They want to maintain the great quality of life they have in the Southern Tier of New York State and all parts of the state. But they want to be able to stay here. They want to create jobs," Skelos said.
Skelos says the best way to increase the number of jobs in the Southern Tier is to decrease property taxes. He says he's focused on passing Governor David Paterson's plan to cap school property tax increases at four percent per year.
Less taxes and more jobs. That's what New York's new Senate Majority Leader says he's committed to based on what he's heard from people in Chemung and other counties throughout the state. Our Kat De Maria caught up with Senator Dean Skelos during a visit to Elmira.
"Seventy-nine percent of the people upstate support the property tax cap, 74 percent of the people statewide,” Skelos said. “And if we don't respond to that type of a message, then we're not doing right by the people we're supposed to represent."
Chemung County Executive Tom Santulli says the majority leader's visit shows his commitment to representing the area.
"When they come up here and become involved and show their interest, I think it says a lot about the person," Santulli said.
...As does Skelos' focus on jobs and taxes, which Santulli says are also his and other area leaders' top priorities.
"He's got the exact message,” said Santulli. “He's focused. And I hope he can pull it off with our help."
Senator Skelos says the senate will pass the proposed property tax cap and he and the governor are working to bring Speaker Sheldon Silver and the Assembly on board to achieve tax relief for the people of New York State.
While he was in the area, Skelos also responded to criticism from Elmira's mayor.
Mayor John Tonello said a private weekend meeting among Skelos, Governor David Paterson and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver is no way to govern. Skelos says he agrees and believes open meetings are more effective. He says the weekend get-together was the first among the group and he says they used it to broadly introduce issues for discussion.
Skelos says he hopes future meetings will be open. He says another one has not yet been scheduled.