ALBANY – Jobs, jobs, jobs and the overall economy have surfaced as priority issues confronting county government officials, according to the fourth annual “State of the Counties Survey” conducted by the New York State Association of Counties.
“Clearly the national and state economic recession is being felt on a local level. Consistently, county officials recognize that most critical component of recovery is to foster job growth in our communities,” said Stephen J. Acquario, the executive director of the Association of Counties, a group representing all of the state’s 57 counties and the City of New York with its five boroughs.
The survey also showed that county leaders believe that the most important issues facing the nation are jobs and the economy - a dramatic shift from the last three years, which pegged the Iraq War as the most critical issue for Americans. Last year, 42 percent of respondents said the War was the most important, compared to this year in which 73 percent said jobs and the economy were most important.
“Another shift in opinion from last year is that our county officials are acutely concerned about the state budget deficit. It barely registered in last year’s survey,” said Acquario.
“Governments at the state and local level must act out of necessity now. We need to make sacrifices so as not to burden New Yorkers, who are already struggling with personal, family and living expenses associated with an economy in decline.”
Executive Budget
Governor Paterson’s 2009-10 Executive Budget aims to close an unprecedented state budget deficit with $9.5 billion in spending reductions and approximately $5 billion in increased taxes and fees. No area of state spending was spared and as expected, education and health care funding represent the largest part of the proposed reductions.
The governor's plan has two parts and is intended to address a $1.7 billion current year shortfall through a deficit reduction plan and then close a $13.7 billion gap as part of the 2009-10 state budget. The current year deficit is closed through $1 billion in spending cuts carried over from the proposal the state legislature did not act upon during the November Special Session, $500 million from previously proposed health care reductions and over $770 million in new savings, primarily achieved through fund transfers and other state agency spending controls.
Major impacts to counties from the deficit reduction plan largely involve reductions in reimbursement available to county-operated hospitals and nursing homes, including the elimination of trend factors, a delay in the implementation of nursing home "rebasing" and an across-the-board 8 percent rate reduction.
The proposed budget would cause losses to county-operated nursing homes and hospitals, local social service department operations, youth services, public health and jail operations, notably Camp Pharsalia in Chenango County.
According to a press release from NYSAC, county directors believe that the budget was carefully structured to reduce state spending with minimal cost shifts to counties; but there is no denying that it will “dramatically change the face of county services and result in reductions in child welfare services, child care, youth services, public health and county staffing.”
The New York State Association of Counties is a bipartisan municipal association serving all 62 counties of New York State including the City of New York. Organized in 1925, NYSAC’s mission is to represent, educate and advocate for member counties and the thousands of elected and appointed county officials who serve the public.