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Six weeks after receiving a recommended 2012 County Budget from County Administrator Joe Mareane, Legislators acting as an Expanded Budget Committee began the process of proposing recommended changes to the budget, after hearing presentations from departments and agencies.    Fourteen legislators were present for tonight’s meeting (Legislator Leslyn McBean-Clairborne was excused.)

The County Administrator’s budget, containing $77.8 million in local dollar spending begins with what could be supported under New York State’s Property Tax Cap—a 2.9% levy increase—but recommends a levy increase of 5.4%, in line with the 2012 levy goal set by the Legislature last spring.

Tonight’s decisions may be reconsidered at later expanded committee meetings and will require approval by the full Legislature to become final.

One of the first actions considered was whether to adopt the 2.9% tax cap budget, and reduce target spending by more than $1 million.  The matter was advanced by Legislators Mike Lane and Brian Robison, Lane maintaining that Legislators must address the issue immediately of whether to approve  the tax cap budget  or develop the budget in line with normal procedures.  Legislators turned down the recommendation by a vote of 13-1, with only Legislator Kathy Luz Herrera voting in favor.

Although they had 16 other proposals before them, Legislators recommended only four changes, three of them that would affect the tax levy:

DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES:
Legislators, by a 9-5 vote, restored $41,526 for the Red Cross Friendship Center, which Commissioner Patricia Carey said provides important support for people at high risk of becoming homeless, which she described as a key component of homelessness prevention.  Legislator Frank Proto suggested funding on a one-time basis through rollover, which failed by a tie vote of 7-7.

HUMAN SERVICES COALITION AGENCIES:
By an 8-6 vote, addition of $15,000 for Human Services Coalition agencies was recommended, which would return spending to the full $30,000 in over target spending that had been requested.

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES:
Legislators, by a vote of 11-3, restored $9,753 to keep Director Don Ellis, in his one-person department, at a 40-hour work schedule.

OFFICE FOR THE AGING:
Legislators recommended $20,135 in one-time funding, through rollover, to support administrative outreach services for the Weatherization and Home Assistance Program (WRAP), to allow transition time to deal with and decide how to proceed, in light of federal and state cuts in financial support.  The vote was 13-1.  The action does not affect the tax levy.

Other actions:

Legislator Peter Stein proposed a package of eight actions seeking to reduce the levy increase to about 4.1%--half-way between 5.4% and the 2.9% cap budget.  A majority did not support the package approach, then each of the items was considered separately, but none won support:

• A proposed reduction, from $240,000 to $120,000, in over target spending for the Highway Division paving budget failed by a 3-11 vote.
• A proposal to change Emergency Response funding from target to one-time, to support 2.5 dispatch positions and an Assistant Director position, also failed by a vote of 3-11.
• A recommendation to remove more than $100,000 from the Sheriff’s budget, to support a sergeant position, failed to win support by a margin of 4-10.
• A proposed reduction of nearly $66,000 for Planning staff failed by a 1-13 vote, and another to remove more than $11,000 for a part-time Senior Planner failed 5-9.
• Two proposed reductions for the Assessment Office—more than $50,000 for a Data Collector position and nearly $8,800 for supplies and equipment—both failed by 1-13 margins.

Other proposed reductions—for Human Rights and Soil and Water Conservation—advanced by Legislator Stein in another package arrangement, another alternative to help fund the Friendship Center, failed for lack of a second.

Potential Tax Impact of Recommendations to Date

With its first actions, the committee added $65,679 in target spending to the County Administrator’s recommended budget. If tonight’s committee recommendations were approved, the county’s total 2012 tax levy would increase by 5.6%, and the average county tax rate would stand at $6.77 per thousand dollars assessed property value, an increase of 4.6%.

The committee resumes deliberations Tuesday, October 25.  As many as two more voting meetings are scheduled to consider changes to the recommended budget

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