Letter: County Government at a glance

Dear Editor,

As Chairwomen of the Tioga County Legislature I am so very proud of our Tioga County Employees as they work to protect the public and win this war against the unseen enemy. Our employees have stepped up and they have not let me down when I have asked them to do the extraordinary.  

As you read the excerpts below from the New York State Association of Counties Organization, you will begin to understand and appreciate how our county employees are working for you. It’s as follows.

“Many people don’t realize the extent to which the battle against COVID-19 is being fought by county government employees, and we salute the work that they are doing each and every day. I am humbled and grateful for the heroic services our employees provide to protect the public,” said NYSAC President John F. Marren, chairman of the Ontario County board of supervisors.

County government employees include but are not limited to:

• Local public health officials protecting the spread of communicable diseases

• First responders helping those in need of health care

• 911 dispatch employees bringing needed assistance

• Deputies and police officers who patrol and enforce executive orders and protect the public 

• Jail administrators who care for inmates and protect society 

• Emergency management personnel who coordinate the response and recovery efforts

• County attorneys who guide the incident commanders 

• Social Service employees providing temporary assistance, food and health insurance, protecting children in need

• Mental Health workers who help us cope as we remain in isolation

• County clerks that are processing important legal documents for property, the court system and DMV 

• District attorneys for upholding the rule of law

• Public defenders providing counsel to those in need 

• Consumer protection employees rooting out consumer fraud 

• Coroners and medical examiners ensuring dignity in death and reporting the cause of death 

• Veterans’ affairs employees making sure our heroes get what they need when they need it 

• Highway, sanitation and public works keeping our infrastructure safe and functioning 

“County leaders are the onsite incident commanders interacting with all local governments in the region. These county leaders serve as the generals in the field. The COVID-19 war will be won through a series of battles, and these battles are fought in our communities engaging the public at large. County leaders are constantly developing innovative ways to eliminate the spread of the virus, modeling courage at the local level and focused on strengthening our local communities during this global pandemic,” said NYSAC Executive Director Stephen J. Acquario.

Sincerely,

Martha Sauerbrey

Chair, Tioga County Legislature