News
Steve Otis Presents Proclamation to Three Women of the Year Honorees
Steve presenting a Proclamation of the NY State Assembly to the three women of the year honorees of the Kehilla chapter of Hadassah at its donor brunch at the Hyatt Regency Greenwich.
The Kehilla chapter of Hadassah represents the communities of Larchmont, Mamaroneck, Rye City, Rye Brook and Port Chester. Honorees were Carol R. Blucher, Lois Broderick and Rose Lipshitz.
Steve Otis Honored with Environmental Excellence Award
Recognized for his leadership in supporting the Wastewater Infrastructure Improvement Act, Climate Change Work Group, and Environmental Conservation and Parks committees.
Audubon leaders from across New York met in in Saratoga to present the annual William B. Hoyt Environmental Excellence Award to Assemblyman Steve Otis for his dedication to protecting New York’s environment. The Award, which is named in honor of the popular environmental advocate who passed away in 1992 while serving in the State Assembly, was presented the evening of Saturday, March 19 at the Gideon Putnam Hotel and Conference Center as part of the Spring meeting of the Audubon Council of New York State.
Latimer and Otis to hold forum on State Budget in Port Chester
New York State Senator George Latimer (D-Westchester) and Assemblyman Steve Otis (D-Rye City) announced today they will be holding a joint forum to get public input on the proposed 2016-2017 NYS budget. The event is open to the community, and any person or organization that wishes to present is invited to participate.…
The schedule for the Port Chester forum is as follows:
Tuesday, Feb. 23 at the Port Chester Senior Center, 222 Grace Church St., from 4-8 p.m.
“The next step in passing a state budget is analysis and review by the state legislature, and I want to make sure that we hear what our constituents want and need,” Senator Latimer said.
No RSVP is required. The public is invited to speak and will be heard on a first come basis. Written testimony can be provided at the hearing or in advance to Senator Latimer or Assemblyman Otis by e-mail to latimer@nysenate.gov or OtisS@assembly.state.ny.us.
Remarks are limited to four minutes of presentation per person.
“This forum is yet another opportunity for us to hear directly from Westchester residents and organizations about the issues they care most about in the state budget,” said Assemblyman Otis. “The more we know about your concerns and priorities, the more effectively we can advocate on your behalf in the budget process.”
Proposed last month by the Governor, the “Executive Budget” is the first step in adopting a spending plan for New York’s next fiscal year, which runs from Apr. 1, 2016 to Mar. 31, 2017. The Governor’s proposal would provide $145 billion to fund state programs and services. The largest areas included in the spending plan are education, public protection, and healthcare, including Medicaid.
Educators, Officials and Administrators Visit Thomas A. Edison School
Educators, state and local officials and administrators from community groups visited Thomas A. Edison School on Friday, Jan. 29 to learn about their long-running, full-service community school program. Principal Ivan Tolentino also explained his school’s efforts to address the needs of English Language Learners. Afterwards, the visitors toured the elementary school and even stopped into Open Door Family Medical Centers’ dental van that was parked outside.
Small Business and Economic Development Forum
Steve invites you to a Small Business and Economic Development Forum on Tuesday, October 27th. Jointly sponsored with the Women’s Enterprise Development Center.
Steve Participated in Ground Breaking Weber Community Gardens
Steve and George Latimer participated in the ground breaking ceremony for the Weber Community Gardens in Port Chester.
Steve Received the New Rochelle YMCA’s Community Impact Award
Steve received the New Rochelle YMCA’s Community Impact Award for his tremendous support of the Y as did Assemblywoman Amy Paulin.
New Rochelle: Grants shore up YMCA pool
LoHud has important news from New Rochelle:
The YMCA has found its lifesaver.
It comes in the form of $1 million in state funds, secured by state Assembly members Steve Otis and Amy Paulin. The money will foot the bill for most of the pool repairs that had threatened the New Rochelle YMCA’s future.
“We had been working with all of the elected officials and really pitching the importance of the pool in the community,” said YMCA Executive Director Julie Gallanty. “They really have saved this Y.”
Paulin, D-Scarsdale, and Otis, D-Rye, each secured $500,000 through the state Dormitory Authority.
Otis called the effort to get the state funds “tremendous” and said that, even though he is not a swimmer, he appreciated how important the pool was.
“One of the things that hit me, the pool is so essential to the functioning of the Y. They can’t go pool-less,” he said. “That’s why it was made a priority for me.”
Sound Shore Officials Discuss Education Reform In New Rochelle
New Rochelle Daily Voice posted the following story:
Four of southern Westchester’s top elected officials convened in New Rochelle on Thursday night for a comprehensive discussion about the issues plaguing area school districts.
New York State Democratic Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, State Sen. George Latimer and Assembly members Amy Paulin and Steve Otis joined forces on a panel at the New Rochelle High School to answer the pressing questions and concerns parents in the district have.
During “An Evening With Our State Legislators: A Discussion of Current York State Education and Budget Issues,” moderated by High School Principal Reginald Richardson, the officials talked about everything from opting out of immunization and state testing, to federal funding and Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s approved state budget, which has come under fire for its education reform.
When asked whether local school districts were getting a fair percentage of federal funding, Otis noted that it’s a competitive statewide environment, with Westchester districts getting penalized due to high property values. Latimer added that cities such as New Rochelle and White Plains are in a unique situation because they include both incredibly wealthy and poor residents within one district.
“No, we’re not getting our fair share, but I don’t think that any district is. The fact that it’s based on property tax figures doesn’t make sense,” he said. “To correct that, we need a fundamental overhaul that won’t happen. Until we, as a state, undergo a massive overhaul, we will just do as best we can to improve year-to-year.”
The budget, specifically the new teacher and student evaluation system that stresses even further importance on state standardized testing, came under fire from each of the politicians.
“We all know there is way too much testing in our schools,” Otis said. “There’s no one way to measure different teachers in different places, because different districts have different needs.”
Editorial: New Hope for New York’s Rivers
The Albany Times Union praised Steve Otis’s initiative in this week’s approved budget to help cash-strapped localities pay for upgrades to drinking water and water treatment infrastructure:
Funds in the just-enacted state budget, combined with recent federal legislation, can kickstart these much-needed local projects, because they’re for outright grants. The state Water Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2015 will provide $200 million over three years; the federal 2014 water resources bill adds another $46 million to the pot.
Together, this infusion of state and federal funds could make long-needed upgrades affordable for localities.
Assemblymen John McDonald, D-Cohoes, and Steve Otis, D-Rye, co-sponsored the state measure. Both are former mayors who know well how vital these grants are. U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., co-sponsored the federal legislation.