The Albany County Legislature tabled a deal to give control of the county-run nursing home to a private company at a Monday, May 13, meeting, after hearing a presentation from County Comptroller Mike Conners urging action.
Conners’ annual presentation on the fiscal condition of the county focused primarily on the nursing home. He stressed how the nursing home has been losing money and said if a decision on the home were not made by June, he would not certify payroll for the facility.
“I think there is a middle ground that will result in what we all want,” Conners said.
The legislature was slated to vote on Monday on a 10-year lease agreement with Upstate Services Group. County Executive Dan McCoy has repeatedly said the deal would save taxpayers more than $100 million.
Conners did not endorse that plan, but instead suggested the county should pursue formation of a local development corporation to take over the nursing home. Saratoga County took that approach with its Maplewood Manor. If that doesn’t work, Conners said the county should sell the facility.
“Based on the history and where you’re going right now, I don’t think the county has demonstrated it can run the nursing home,” he said.
But to some legislators, a middle ground is still a hazy concept.
“Conners has said what we’ve all been saying, that Albany County has done a horrific job at running the nursing home. So we need to do something. He has been touting an LDC for a long time,” said Legislator Richard Mendick, who represents the Selkirk area. “We’ve thrown all the options on the table. It’s a matter of picking and choosing.”
With the vote on the USG deal delayed another month, no progress was made on the future of the nursing home Monday.
“What we’re seeing is just continued delay,” Deputy County Executive Christine Quinn said after the meeting. “It’s devastating to the residents and to the taxpayers in the county.”
Some legislators are touting yet another option in a proposal from nursing home operators Lowell Feldman and Martin Lieban. This contract would not privatize the facility but instead have the company overseeing the day-to-day operation of the home and looking for ways to bring in income.
“Now there’s a continued push for an agreement to have a third party manager for the nursing home, which is prohibited by the Department of Health, and what we’re looking at if we see that come to fruition is a double-digit tax increase for 2014,” Quinn said.
Legislature majority leader Frank Commisso said he was pleased to see Conners stump for new management of the nursing home.
“But I think he’s wrong about what McCoy has done for the nursing home. I think McCoy has continued the policies of (former County Executive Mike) Breslin and he’s doing the same thing of downsizing the nursing home,” Commisso said.
Commisso said he agreed there have been a series of delays with the nursing home vote, and placed blame “partly on the county executive and partly on the legislature trying to come up with an alternative.”
Commisso said he hopes a vote will take place by next month.
In wrapping up his presentation to lawmakers Monday, Conners said the main thing to remember in coming weeks is the need for action.
“Whatever you do, you’ve got to be together,” he told legislators.