- By Marcia E. Lynch
- News
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Presenting the results of his initial review of how Governor Spitzer's proposed 2008 state budget might affect County operations, County Administrator Steve Whicher told the legislature's Budget and Capital Committee Monday the potential impact could be "really negative," unless the County institutes program changes projected to generate additional funds. Without those new initiatives, the administrator predicted a negative likely impact in the range of $500,000 to $1 million.
Mr. Whicher observed that the Governor has proposed reductions in state aid in a number of areas and has offset those with giving localities the authority to increase fees. He compiled the impact summary at the request of Legislature Chair Mike Koplinka-Loehr. The report includes information provided by county departments and the administrator's analysis.
Potential areas of loss include more than $200,000 in aid reductions to the Department of Social Services, which Whicher urged be "vigorously resisted." The executive budget would eliminate the state's 50 percent share of expenses for youth placed in detention centers and would institute a two percent cost shift to counties for the non-federal cost of family assistance programs. "The reduction in the State's share for Family Assistance is easily the most serious issue in this budget," Whicher stated. "Although the impact will be in our 2009 budget, the eventual effect is to offset the State's expense of implementing the Medicaid Cap that counties worked so hard to obtain."
Other possible reductions include a possible $100,000 decrease in state aid for Tompkins Cortland Community College, an estimated $43,000 loss from a 3 percent reduction in state highway funding and a possible decline in for Probation reimbursement rates. For the Health Department, Mr. Whicher indicated there is some discussion of a 4 percent cap on preschool special education expenses which, if implemented, could have a positive impact, but might be offset by affected by possible changes in Medicaid reimbursement regulations.
Whicher also reported that real property assessment-related funding changes contained in the Governor's budget could leave the County little choice but to return to full value annual assessment. With planned phase-out of the State's triennial maintenance of aid program to the Department of Assessment and financial incentives offered for annual full value assessment, the County would lose a three-year payment of $155,000, but would receive projected annual payments of $310,000, should it return to annual assessment.
The Governor's budget also would permit the county clerk's offices to increase recording fees, at local option; both base and per page charges could be increased significantly. If implemented, this could produce a net gain for the local office in the neighborhood of $280,000, once other proposed fee reductions are incorporated.
The Governor proposes expanding services of the "Cook/Chill" food production center at the Oneida Correctional Facility to other local jails. Mr. Whicher cautioned that, while this might realize savings, much investigation needs to be done and many questions must be answered before any decision is made to institute this program.
If program changes were implemented to increase revenue, Administrator Whicher said his analysis suggests a shift in possible impact to slightly favorable, estimated at a little more than $140,000, but cautioned the committee that the numbers are only projections at this point.
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