ABSTRACT
New York is one of the few states that require a local input for welfare programs. In New York State, the layers of local government, each with jurisdiction and responsibilities that are somewhat distinct but also overlapping, include the county, the component townships, the incorporated villages within them and, where they exist, cities. In many upstate New York counties, as around the nation, the number-one issue is waste disposal, the inadequacy of existing sanitary landfills and the need to finance and construct new facilities that meet new standards. The preeminence of finance shows up in that the most powerful committees and positions on legislative boards are usually in budget and finance and in that a county fiscal officer may essentially be serving as a county administrator. One or two women sit on most county legislative boards and in some cases occupy crucial leadership and committee roles.
