NORWICH – Chenango County’s financial leaders spent the last two weeks paring down previous budget estimates of a 2.2 percent increase on the levy to a mere .01 percent.
Finance Committee Chairman Lawrence Wilcox, R-Oxford, said he had hoped for a zero increase in order to take the pressure off taxpayers who are already strained by the nation’s growing financial crises.
“We came awfully close,” he said Wednesday.
Wilcox’s committee will present the county government’s budget to the full Board of Supervisors for consideration when they meet on Monday. The real property tax levy of $22.7 million is up about $3,096 or 0.01 percent. The average countywide tax rate of $15.48 will fluctuate, either increasing or decreasing, in all 22 municipalities based on state-established equalization rates. The tentative tax rate dropped an average of 35 cents per $1,000 of assessed value from last year.
Budgeters first slashed the public works department’s projections for fuel costs next year as a result of lower prices at the pump currently. They also mandated a 10 percent reduction across all departments for travel and training, and took back a total of $45,000 from the county clerk’s, board of elections’ and sheriff’s departments. They also increased anticipated revenues from the newly approved cell phone surcharge policy.
As they have every year since 2002, the Finance Committee will suggest applying $1 million from surplus to help balance the budget.
Chenango County Treasurer William E. Evans said the travel and training cuts were met with mixed reaction from department heads. Some smaller departments may be forced to return to committee later in the year to request additional funding to attend required conferences, he said.
“We’ve tried to be sensitive to taxpayers and have applied revenues from our safety net number to keep taxes down,” Evans said. Chenango County would begin 2009 with a surplus of $12.8 million if the plan is approved by the board next week.
Committee Vice Chairman Dennis Brown, D-Pharsalia, said department directors and standing committees need to be prepared to act immediately if state revenues are further slashed next week when the New York State Legislature meets in an emergency budgeting session called by Gov. David Paterson.
“Things could happen as early as next week in Albany that could really affect this budget,” Evans said.
Legislators have tapped surplus to help afford the conversion of the old jail and Sheriff’s Office in downtown Norwich into an office complex and for the new 911 emergency tower system being erected throughout the county.