While this newspaper's Sunday editorial spent a great deal of time analyzing the State of the County speech by County Manager Wayne Allen at Thursday's Cayuga County Chamber of Commerce luncheon, there was another speech that was given that day. Unlike Allen's, City Manager Mark Palesh was given high marks by many in attendance for the overview of where the city has been, is and - he hopes - will be.

In his 20 minute presentation Palesh was able to tout several recent successes, some of which were started before he came to Auburn last winter and others that he has fostered along. He pointed to items from the city's new “park and ride” set up on the south side of the city's parking garage that was done to foster public transit use to planned private sector efforts in bio-energy that are envisioned in the area around the city's sewage treatment facility in the northwest corner of the city.

Giving credit where due, he identified many of the partners that have worked with the city, from his own staff and two mayors and city councils to the likes of state Sen. Michael Nozzolio (the rehabilitation of Casey Park Pool) and, most importantly, taxpayers that pay for all things.

If there was a theme from his presentation it is that he believes there is much in progress. Palesh was very proud, for example, of nearly doubling the city's annual road program (in 2007 and 2008 it is $1.4 million, up from $650,000 in 2006 and $950,000 the year before). He also touted the city's investment in equipment for the fire and police departments, as well as training for upper management.

Palesh also may have given a glimpse of where there are changes that the public and taxpayers will feel in the coming year. While he was clear in identifying a reworking in the city's building/housing permitting process (including a drop in some fees) he also made it clear that there are substantial changes when it comes to basic services like leaf pick up. Front loading pay loaders picking up leaves is not only not fiscally prudent, but does immeasurable damage to lawns, curbs and streets he says and they will not be doing pick ups that way anymore.

He also touched on the budget he is now preparing for the 2008-2009 fiscal year that commences on July 1. While it does not seem that he foresees a $1.7 million budget gap, as he faced last year, it is clear that he does foresee some budget challenges, some that were not clearly defined on Thursday.

One issue that was not addressed at the time are the changes Palesh made to the Auburn Fire Department on Tuesday, changes that will reverberate for some time on the fiscal, labor, policy and political fronts.

Cosentino is a former mayor of Auburn and can be contacted at cozguytho@aol.com