Thursday, March 10, 2011

LETTER: Franck: Increase Revenues, Lower Costs

To the Editor:
Our beautiful, beloved village is facing trying times. We live in an economically challenged region of New York State at a time when global and national economies are suffering. We have empty stores on Main Street; we lost Hoffman Lane Bistro and Agway, among other businesses we valued.
This occurred despite the fact that our two major industries have continued to draw many visitors to our village. Bassett has never been busier, with 350,000 visits to its Cooperstown clinics alone, and over 10,000 patients admitted to its inpatient service; our museums continue to draw thousands of families to our community.
We are burdened by substantial federal, state, county, village and school taxes. Village-specific revenue-generating programs have been developed. Yet our net income is insufficient to maintain some of our basic infrastructural needs, the best example being the many streets that await repair.
We must continue to explore, in depth, any and all means to increase our revenues and/or decrease our costs, without imposing further financial hardship on our villagers. We must do this, and maintain the security and safety of our village and our environment.
For 28 of my 38 years at Bassett I have been the chief of medicine. In that role I have been intimately involved in the evolution of Bassett as a financially sound system that is secure and provides services needed throughout our region. Bassett’s budget is now about $379 million. As chief of medicine I was accountable for a little over 10 percent of the hospital budget. My job included program development, revenue enhancement, cost control and strategic planning. This experience is what I can provide Cooperstown residents in its government.
In the course of the past six weeks I have come to exchange ideas with very talented colleagues. Jeff Katz is incredibly knowledgeable about the administrative and financial issues required for effective village government; Ellen Tillapaugh has had a stunning array of civic interests and responsibilities and is one of the most impressive individuals I have met; Jim Dean’s passion and commitment to our community and environment is one which I heartily endorse and support. We have developed professional working relationships, which, if translated into village government, could serve our community well.
Please consider us carefully when you vote March 15.
WALTER FRANCK, MD
Cooperstown

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