MidHudsonNews [dot] com is reporting Ulster County Executive Patrick Ryan is calling on county lawmakers to approve his 2020 county budget as proposed. His comments were made in response to a series of proposals made by a group of legislators seeking to “strip critical funding and services meant to protect the environment, support economic development efforts, and promote diversity in the county workforce,” Ryan said in a statement released by his office. The county executive said his proposed spending plan was shaped by public input received at town hall meetings held countywide. Ryan said he learned from those sessions that residents “want us to protect our environment, they want smart and proven economic development strategies, and they want a workforce that reflects the diversity of the community they are tasked to serve.” Read the full story at MidHudsonNews [dot] com.