In a letter to Governor Kathy Hochul, leaders in Seneca County are making a series of requests related to the planned closure of Willard Drug Treatment Campus.
Hochul announced the closure of Willard along with five other state prisons in November 2021, according to The Citizen. Willard Drug Treatment Campus is the largest employer in Romulus and one of the largest in Seneca County.
County representatives are asking the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) to offer provisional employees comparable positions at other other correctional facilities.
They also want the reuse of the Willard facility to be prioritized, as well as the future of the credit union located on its campus to be addressed. In addition, the letter asks for maps and records related to the sewer and water facilities on the prison’s campus to be provided to Seneca County.
Lastly, the leaders are asking Hochul to provide direct financial support to communities affect by the prison closures. Hochul’s proposed 2022-23 fiscal budget does not include such funding, but she does have the opportunity to add it in the 21-day amendments to her executive budget proposal.
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