Chautauqua County Legislator John Runkle said, while taking a quick look at the recent Center for Governmental Research study on the County Home, that there was $2.7 million in savings found in relation to running the Home.
During an interview with WDOE-AM on Thursday, Runkle, R-Stockton, said the reductions in costs include the implementation of electronic medical records, a reduction of three positions and concessions - nearing $935,000 - by the county union. All are acceptable ideas, but even with these proposed savings, there is still a very large expense. That is the cost of continuing to maintain the home.
The study - costing $80,000 - was unveiled to legislators and the public last week. Studies are dangerously becoming useless tools in this region. We've paid lots of dollars for many - and a number of them sit on shelves collecting dust.
But while this study may not collect dust, it will be used by both sides to defend the sale or keep the Home under county control.
Both sides now have some 132 pages of pros and cons to bolster their view. But simply put, the Legislature's decision comes down to this: If it wants to save money in the future, sell the Home. If it does not, it better be ready to keep spending more than $20 million annually - without a profit - to run the facility.
