Monroe County stands to lose $150 million in federal aid for such efforts as lead paint poisoning prevention, addiction services, job training and traffic safety.
Monroe County Executive Adam Bello outlined the potential fallout from cutbacks by the Trump administration and Congress during his State of the County address Wednesday.
He also warned that the county might see an increase in the number of people needing help as the cuts extend to social safety net programs and they lose their benefits — a scenario he called a "double-whammy."
"As this budget year unfolds, and we are more clear on what the changes are at the federal level really mean for Monroe County residents, there is one promise that I am going to make to you: That we are going to stay focused on what matters. And there will be no chaos," Bello said, prompting applause from audience. "What problems we face as a community, we will solve as a community."
The county already is well into its budget year, and a $1.5 billion spending plan, with Bello noting that budgets are a challenge in the best of times. But the tumult he described flowing out of Washington — in a “constant barrage” of executive orders, staffing reductions, grant withdrawals, lawsuits and yo-yoing tariffs — was in stark contrast to the themes of his address, which otherwise focused on investment and innovation.
Or, as the Democrat leader put it: "People. Progress. Possibility."
Bello delivered the State of the County speech at the George Eastman Museum's Dryden Theatre.
The address was laced with references to Eastman, as well as the Kodak founder's own words. During the hour-long speech the county executive highlighted some new initiatives, but largely focused on the county's efforts in areas such as public safety, public health, workforce development, and economic development.
And he said that — invoking Eastman's legacy as an inventor and businessman — innovation is how the county tackles its biggest challenges.
"Innovation in Monroe County isn't just a chapter in our history," Bello said. "It's who we are and the foundation of what we're made of. Innovation has helped us grow smarter, govern better, and build a more equitable community.”
PUBLIC SAFETY
Bello touched on a few public safety initiatives his administration has launched, such as the Juvenile Enhanced Diversion Stabilization program, which he said has decreased juvenile delinquency intake and car thefts. He added that the program is expanding.
He touted other initiatives, such as centralizing arraignments for the local courts across the county and traffic safety efforts.
And he announced that the county's Office of Emergency Management has received a $500,000 grant from the state to compile the many data points collected by emergency medical service providers to develop a real-time dashboard of the county-wide EMS system.
Bello said the dashboard will alert 911 dispatchers to coverage gaps so they can proactively deploy ambulances to busier locations. It will notify hospital emergency department staffs when ambulance wait times are too long, so they can bring in support and get the EMS crews back on the road.
"The EMS dashboard is going to take this system to the next level. It is going to ensure that Monroe County residents get the highest quality prehospital care from every ambulance department and emergency department in Monroe County," Bello said.
PUBLIC HEALTH
Bello also announced that a state investment of $15 million will allow the county to relaunch and expand an effort to address barriers in transitioning patients from hospitals to skilled nursing facilities.
The Transformational Community Care Coordination Program has several facets. A major part of it is developing the nursing workforce and helping to create skilled nursing career pathways. It also provides some financial support to help nursing homes manage the high costs of caring for complex patients and works to improve patient transportation to nursing facilities or a home setting.
"This investment is good for our healthcare systems and will be transformative for the thousands of patients and families who count on it," Bello said. "TC3 means faster transitions, better care, and healthier outcomes."
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Just as county executives before him did in their State of the County addresses, Bello highlighted the work of the County of Monroe Industrial Development Agency, or COMIDA, which serves as the county’s economic development arm.
He noted that it has supported expansions by pharmaceutical companies, advanced manufacturing companies, and even WeTheHobby, a global "sports card entertainment" company that started in Rochester and is headquartered there.
And he touted the fairlife project in Webster. The milk products company is exceeding the $650 million investment it anticipated and is on track to be the largest dairy processing plant in the northeastern United States, he said. The county provided substantial incentives for the project, which is expected to create more than 300 jobs.
Bello said that over the past five years 216 projects backed by COMIDA have delivered over $4.3 billion in investment, 5,829 new jobs, and 6,843 retained jobs.
"We focused on what matters and we've seen results," Bello said.
A video of Bello's speech is available on his official Facebook page.
