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Legislators acting as an Expanded Budget Committee spent their third voting session recommending modifications to the 2009 Tentative County Budget.  Monday’s only actions which would affect the tax levy come from new target funding for Workforce Investment, which would boost the tax levy to 3.13 percent, just slightly above the Legislature’s 3 percent levy goal.

But Legislators were warned that reliance on one-time funding is not without risk  Both County Administrator Steve Whicher and Legislature Chair Mike Koplinka-Loehr reminded lawmakers that, to equip the County to respond to the uncertain effects of state budget reductions, the County’s excess fund balance must not go below $1 million for 2009.  With recommended changes made tonight, that line currently stands below that level, at just over $970,000.

Monday’s recommendations may be modified at future meetings and will need formal approval by the County Legislature to become final.

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND ONE-STOP CENTER:
By a vote of 10-2, the committee restored $64,264 in target funding to support the Workforce Investment Board.  The action, if ultimately approved by the Legislature, would mean that County funding will support operations initially underwritten through state and federal resources.  In response to Legislator questions, Director Julia Mattick noted workforce investment boards have proven critical to ongoing success of local businesses, and Tompkins County Area Development Director Michael Stamm praised the program is an important tool for companies in addressing the important challenge of workforce issues.  A proposal to provide support through one-time funding, in view of the nation’s uncertain  economic climate which could affect the level of outside support, failed by a tie vote of 6-6.  Lack of County funding would have forced the County to join a multi-county regional program, an arrangement that in the past was said to not serve local interests.  Also approved, by a vot e of 11-1, was $11,285 to maintain a full-time staff position at Workforce Development’s One-Stop Center.  A proposal to fund that through one-time money failed by a vote of 4-8.

FACILITIES DIVISION:
By a 12-2 vote, Legislators recommended $165,000 in one-time money which would bring the budget allocation for deferred maintenance in County buildings to the $400,000 level specified in the County’s capital plan.  The Administrator’s budget had recommended nearly $236,000 through a combination of target and one-time funding.  Facilities Director Arel LeMaro told the committee that, without the added support, his department would be forced to only fund items needed to correct life safety and code compliance issues, and that, beyond the recommended funding, there is much more deferred maintenance that should be done now, but that the County cannot afford.
 
PUBLIC ACCESS DEFIBRILLATOR PROGRAM:
By unanimous vote, the committee recommended $72,000 be placed in contingency to initiate a public access defibrillator program, pending an implementation plan.  The program, under study for more than a year, will install 42 automatic external defibrillators in County buildings, to provide quick and critical access to life support for individuals who experience sudden cardiac arrest.

DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES:
The committee, by an 11-3 vote, restored $18,940 in one-time funding for vehicle replacement at the Department of Social Services.

MENTAL HEALTH:
$4,800 in one-time funding was recommended, by a 10-4 vote, to support installation of window coverings at the Mental Health building. 

Other Actions

TOMPKINS COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY:
A proposal for $25,000 in one-time funding for Library acquisitions failed by a vote of 4-10.  The County Administrator has recommended $50,000 in target funding for staffing and collections, roughly a third of what the Library requested.  Director Janet Steiner has indicated those funds will be put toward restoring clerical and librarian positions.

DISTRICT ATTORNEY:
$25,000 in proposed one-time money to fund prosecution of state-mandated animal cruelty complaints failed by a tie vote of 7-7.  Legislator Dooley Kiefer indicated she may call for that item to be reconsidered later.

Potential Tax Impact of Recommendations to Date

So far, the committee has added $129,545 in target spending to County Administrator Steve Whicher’s tentative budget, which involves more than $73 million in locally controlled spending.  If committee recommendations to date become final, the County’s total 2009 tax levy would increase by 3.13 percent, and the tax rate would be $5.94 per thousand dollars assessed property value, a decrease of 13.4 percent.

Committee deliberations have adjourned until Tuesday, October 14.  That session is scheduled to be the final committee meeting for Legislators to propose new modifications to the budget.  Three additional meetings are scheduled after that, to revisit  earlier recommendations.

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