NORWICH – For the past few years, the Chenango County Department of Social Services has kept taxpayers from digging deeper into their pockets by handing over surplus revenues to the general fund.
The money is left over from overbudgeted line items across a handful of programs.
But lawmakers can’t count on that happening again in 2008. In her annual report on Monday, DSS Commissioner Bette Osborne told members of the Board of Supervisors that she was worried about breaking even.
“As we try to plan for 2009, will there be any unspent surplus we can count on from DSS as we have in the past?” Town of Pharsalia Supervisor Dennis Brown asked.
“I’m hoping that we’ll break even, and worried about some increases,” Osborne replied.
The county lost just shy of $40,000 during the state budgeting process, including a 2 percent allocation cut from the New York State Office of Children and Family Services. Osborne said she expected to shift costs around in order to absorb most of that, however.
She said there could be some retroactive revenues coming into DSS from 2007, but the county will see only 98 percent of what it is normally reimbursed. State officials have indicated that reimbursements in some programs could be further cut in 2009.
The local share for social services will be about $13.5 million. The department’s $80 million budget includes $65 million alone for Medicaid, or approximately $5 million more than last year.
Supervisor Brown pointed out that less people were actually receiving assistance. Osborne said there has been “a rapid increase” in the cost of services.
Town of Preston Supervisor Peter C. Flanagan questioned the accuracy of the reported number of cases versus people actually receiving Medicaid and other social services. Osborne said there were approximately 7,500 people in Chenango County eligible to tap into the system, for which 5,625 cases were accounted. She said a case could represent 1 to 5 people in a family unit.
“Not everybody who is eligible is applying,” she said.
Osborne said she hoped for some revenues to come into the county from unspent budgets in daycare and state juvenile institutions. The numbers are currently down, she said, with only one youth in an institution. Taxpayers pay $9,000 a month for the youth.
“We will save some if these numbers stay down,” the Commissioner said.
Osborne’s report noted unfunded administration mandates for the state’s Heating Energy Assistance Program as well as rising prices for gasoline and heating fuel.
Brown commented, “There will be a tax levy increase just to stay where we are.”
Board Chairman Richard B. Decker, R-North Norwich, told town supervisors to “pay attention” during this year’s budgeting process. “I don’t need to remind supervisors of the hole this state is in,” he said.
Osborne thanked DSS employees for “making a difference every day in the lives of somebody.” It was her fifth annual report before the board.
DSS is the largest budget unit in the county. It represents approximately $12 million of the county’s $22.7 million budget.