Philipstown Democratic Committee
ENDORSES
DON McGRATH
Third Term Candidate for Town Clerk
Also Endorsed by the Philipstown Conservative Party
Don McGrath
This Webpage: www.hvgateway.com/c00479.htm
Donald J. McGrath, Town Clerk is
a retired IBM manager, has applied his 36 years of experience there to
the efficient operation to Town government. In his three terms as Town
Clerk, he has obtained grants for streamlining record systems and has
installed a cost-efficient computerized tax collection system. In one
way Don is very old-fashioned - it is not a machine that answers the
phone.
EDUCATION:
- Graduate of Haldane High School
- Worchester Jr. College, Syracuse University and Krissler Business Institute.
EXPERIENCE:
- Present Town Clerk, Three terms.
- 36 years with IBM, 25 as a manager in various support.
functions in both Domestic and World Trade Divisions.
- A member of the first Zoning Board of Appeals in Cold Spring Village.
- Served as a member of the Haldane Central School Board.
- Served as a member of the Town on State and Federal Projects.
- Past President, Philipstown Democratic Club.
- Communicant, Our Lady of Loretto Church.
- Charter member, St. Mary's Council (Fishkill) Knights of Columbus.
- Married to his wife Ann 43 years with six children, and nine grandchildren.
- Long time Cold Spring Resident.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS WHILE TOWN CLERK:
- Computerized tax collection process:
installed a cost-efficient computerized tax collection program and
computer network system to increase efficiency and reduce operational
costs. Negotiated with the County to accept data dumped on diskette
in place of manually marked rolls...at present, the county will only
accept ours (Philipstown) and Putnam Valley diskettes containing tax
monies collected...all the other townships in Putnam County must
manually mark their hardcopy of the tax rolls re payment made and
turnover to the County.
- Negotiated with the County and Town to place tax collected
monies in an "interest-bearing" account (never done before) and
subsequently gained average annual interest revenue for the Town of
$5,000...to date, this amounts to $50,000.
- Installed multi-user data
processing applications so all three individuals in my office can
access any data processing program at one time.
- Applied for
and received three state grants totaling $55,000...$15,000 used to
purchase a new telephone system, surge protection system and install a
fire alarm system in the Town Hall; two grants for record retention
projects which include identifying duplicate records, purging them and
consolidating them into a single file for more easy access.
- Did
away with keeping Town Clerk's Office open 1/2 day Saturday based on a
three month survey reflecting minimal activity.
- Negotiated and
finally took over issuance of Certificates of Residency from
County..Philipstown residents can now get these from the Town Hall and
do not have to travel to Carmel.
- Signed Town up for the Central
Hudson Dollar Savers Rebate Program...as a result was able to have
electrical contractor install reflectors in 18 flourescent fixtures,
tubes etc. which total cost of $1173.60 was paid to the contractor by
Central Hudson.
- Submitted request to IBM - East Fishkill to
participate in their "Surplus Equipment Donation Program" and was
consequently selected to participate in this program and was able to
obtain several desks, chairs, credenzas and file cabinets "at no cost"
for use in offices in the Town Hall, VFW Building and Highway Building.
- Pushed to implement "TDSP" Program to give Town Employees the
opportunity to have deduction taken from their pay for future
retirement "nestegg".
- Submitted application on behalf of Town to
Fishkill Correctional Facility to get "work crew" to paint the Town
Hall and clean up the Town cemeteries...estimated savings in doing
this $10,000.
- I will continue to seek cost-saving methods and increased revenues
for the Philipstown community.
For other candidates, go to the Philipstown Democratic Committee page.
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For additional local and state GOVERNMENT INFORMATION for the area including addresses and telephone numbers.
Information on this page changed or verified as of 10/25/99
If you have not been to our beautiful area, you must drive to the main dock down Main Street to see the fantastic views of the Hudson Highlands where the Hudson River
cuts through the Hudson Fjord, the "Rhine River Vista of America".
Traveling to the area by Automobile or Train?
Don't forget to check out the interesting sights and things to do in Cold Spring and
Philipstown!