Process complete; Buhrmaster says budget is Savage’s ‘campaign document’
Schenectady County’s purposed 2011 budget could provide a little relief for taxpayers during tough economic times.
County legislators held budget review meetings on Monday, Sept. 20, and Tuesday, Sept. 21, to discuss the purposed budget. There more review sessions were canceled, because the Committee on Ways and Means completed their review of the budget during the second meeting night.
The Schenectady County Tentative 2011 Budget provides a 0.2 percent property tax decrease, which is slightly under the 0.3 percent decrease Chair of the Schenectady County Legislature Susan Savage had announced on Monday, Sept. 13.
This budget tries to maintain the level of service that we have been providing, said Joe McQueen, spokesman for the county.
The budget proposes a $64,431,068 property tax levy and total budget appropriations reaching $292,935,650. The average yearly budget increase from 2001 to the purposed 2011 budget is 2 percent, which brings a reduction to the 5.5 percent average yearly increase from 1991 to 2001.
`The biggest piece of the budget would be the state mandates, because 78 percent of the budget is state mandates,` said Joe McQueen, spokesman for the county. `More and more [the state] has cut the money that comes to the counties for the mandated programs, but the counties still have to provide the programs.`
In order to ease the burden on taxpayers, $9.5 million is planned to be used from the county’s fund balance, which Savage said totaled $35 million before setting aside funds. The 2010 budget allocated $6 million from the fund balance, but Savage said the fund balance was able to return to the $35 million balance.
`We have a pretty robust fund balance as a whole, so this doesn’t present any dangers to us,` said McQueen. `With the current economic conditions, use of the fund balance was prudent in order to keep the tax rate down, so that we can provide some form of tax relief to home owners and tax payers that really need it now.`
Over the last decade, said McQueen, use of fund balance has ranged form $3.5 to $12 million at different times.
`This is not the largest use of surplus, it is a reasonable amount to use with the current economic conditions,` said McQueen.
Over the last seven years, cost containment efforts have resulted in $25 million in savings, with 200 non-mandated positions eliminated through attrition totaling $10 million, employee health care reform resulting in $8.7 million, contract reductions reaching $2.2 million and other efficiency efforts.
Sales tax revenue, while not stagnant, are increasing at a slow rate. The first quarter of 2010 sales tax collections remained consistent with 2009, but second quarter revenue raised by 1.6 percent to the comparable quarter from 2009.
Health care and retirement costs are also concerns in the budget.
`We are going to see an increase in our expenditures into the retirement system, so that is one of the pressures we are receiving and feeling this year,` said McQueen. `In terms of health care, we have seen significant savings with some of the innovative health care programs we have had in the county.`
McQueen said the county has been working well with employee unions to come together on agreements for programs, with a lot of the cost containment initiatives coming from unions.
Also, attaining funding for improvements programs has been a priority for the county, said McQueen. Joe Ryan, director of the county Department Engineering and Public Works, brought in $11 million in state funding for road improvements. McQueen said it allows the county to make some planned improvements without putting stress on taxpayers.
County Legislator Jim Buhrmaster, R-Glenville, did raise objections to the purposed budget and said he doesn’t think it is responsible.
`Susan Savage proposed a county budget that is built on a shaky foundation of one-shot state and federal money, unrealistic revenue estimates and draining funds from the county’s reserves,` Buhrmaster said in a prepared statement. `Her budget is not realistic or fiscally responsible. It’s clearly a campaign document designed to distract people from her record of increasing local taxes and spending.`
Travis Proulx, spokesman for Savage, disagreed and noted Savage had cut taxes for the fourth time in six years along with creating jobs and stimulating the economy.
`The numbers speak for themselves,` said Proulx. `Why republicans would object to that is beyond comprehension.`
The legislature is holding a public hearing on the budget on Monday, Oct. 4, at 6 p.m. and on Tuesday, Oct. 5, a special meeting will be held for budget consideration at 7 p.m. in the chambers of the county legislature.
To view the purposed budget visit Schenectady County’s
website
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