NORWICH – Two minority party supervisors made a handful of unsuccessful attempts Wednesday to amend portions of the 2007 Chenango County budget.
At a meeting of the full Board of Supervisors to formally adopt the $76.4 spending plan, Supervisor Peter C. Flanagan, D-Preston, made a motion to cut four newly-created social worker positions. He said he was not opposed to the New York State Office of Mental Health-funded program that called for the additional staff, just to the positions.
The proposed budget contains 13 new county positions.
“For years we’ve tried to limit the size of county government. It seems that we are creeping back upwards. Why can’t we contract with an outside agency and reduce our employee benefit obligations?” he asked.
The Preston supervisor pointed to what he said was a 35 percent increase in employee benefit and retirement costs within the last four years, saying they “won’t be getting any cheaper.”
The original proposal to add the four positions was met with considerable scrutiny within at least three different standing committees over the course of the fourth quarter this year. Chairman of the Board Richard B. Decker (R-North Norwich) became involved and actually once tabled the item on the Finance Committee’s agenda. In the interim, lawmakers attempted to contract with Catholic Charities of Chenango County before learning that only a state-licensed mental health clinic could offer it. The county’s Mental Health Clinic is so licensed.
“What we need to do is see that Catholic Charities makes application with this board for certification,” Dennis Brown, D-Pharsalia, said. Brown has voiced his opposition to the new employees and the program on several occasions.
The program, Child and Family Clinic Plus, would identify those adolescents within the public school system who are at risk for mental illness. Brown said he takes issue with the potential labeling of youths. “I don’t know a seventh grader who doesn’t have problems,” he said yesterday. “Kids have enough problems without going through their lives with a red letter on their chests saying they were identified to have mental problems.”
New Berlin Supervisor Ross Iannello, politically unaffiliated, said both the program and the employee benefits were 100 percent funded via the state DOM. Decker confirmed that if the funding for Child and Family Clinic Plus goes away, the employees would lose their jobs.
“It’s hard to kill a government program,” Flanagan said.
Supervisor Jerry L. Kreiner, R-Plymouth, said he ascertained that the program “might actually make us money.”
“I’m still concerned down the road that escalating benefit costs and retirement may come back to haunt us. It happened to General Motors, it could happen to us, too,” Flanagan said.
Before calling for a vote on the motion, Decker told Flanagan that everyone on the board shared his concerns, “But we have gone through the process, through three committees and all concerns were expressed.” The motion failed.
City of Norwich Supervisor James J. McNeil, who was the second to Flanagan’s motion, suggested another personnel cut. The Ward 1, 2 and 3 Democrat made an unsuccessful effort to slash an assistant to the county attorney position.
“I’m concerned about adding new personnel to this budget. It’s one of the biggest costs we have going. If there’s more work in the job, maybe it’ll take a little longer to get it done,” he said, referring to matters that come before the county’s attorney. Flanagan seconded McNeil’s motion. It failed 21 to 2.
Finally, the Preston supervisor made a motion to decrease the annual taxpayer appropriation for economic development. He said another $90,000 in 2007 would put the $183,0000 set aside seed money pool over its cap of $250,000. “We ought to adhere to our resolution (to cap),” he said. Flanagan also pointed to $9,000 for economic publicity appropriated to the Chenango County Chamber of Commerce and the Industrial Development Agency. “I hope the various economic development entities are working in concert to do whatever that money is supposed to do,” he said.
McNeil seconded Flanagan’s motion.
A lengthy discussion ensued. Treasurer William E. Evans explained that any monies collected over the cap would land in surplus. Iannello said surplus ultimately falls back to taxpayers when planning for the next year’s budget. Planning & Economic Committee Chairperson Linda E. Natoli, R-City of Norwich, said business developers need to be able to rely on the set-aside seed money.
“Hopefully, people will be able to use this money. Our developers need to be able to use it for leverage. In an economically distressed county, we should be very pleased that we can put that money aside,” she said.
Flanagan said he wasn’t a fan of raising the levy to produce surplus. “We can’t do that on the town level,” he said. He also said surplus funds could be tapped for a variety of purposes.
Brown said with all of the focus on subsidizing mental health in the county, “the only way out of the woods” is through economic development. “Forty years ago we were told we had to take care of our mentally ill. I can remember when that budget was $300,000. Now it is $3 million. We keep spending, but we’re not getting any better,” he said.
Flanagan asked about pending projects for 2007. Decker said there were some, but he wasn’t at liberty to identify them. Flanagan requested a detailed report from the county’s Department of Planning and Development outlining where the seed funds have been spent over the last few years.
McNeil told the board to publicize the availability of the funds. “Towns can look to this to use for projects,” he said.
A final vote on the 2007 budget passed with only Flanagan opposed.