Supervisors take a crack at social services budget
NORWICH – Chenango County supervisors took a first crack at cutting back on next year’s estimated budget for social services during a meeting of the Finance Committee Sept. 8.
Just a week prior, Department of Social Services Commissioner Bette Osborne had estimated a $25.8 million budget for 2011, including the county’s home for adults, Preston Manor. After state and federal reimbursements are received for some programs and administration, the local taxpayer share of the department’s total appropriation would amount to $12,317,000, up 12.4 percent from last year.
And, as Osborne had predicted, she originally budgeted the cost for retirement fringe low. Based on recent figures released by the state comptroller’s office, Deputy County Treasurer/Budget Officer Ardean Young said the department’s retirement budget for 2011 would be up 37.7 percent over 2010’s payout, not the 29 percent previously estimated.
Worker salaries increased 3.5 and 3.6 percent. Youngs said most of Chenango County’s government employees will see an increase in retirement fringe of 11.2 to 15.6 percent of their salaries.
Cuts made to the overall budget were admittedly minimal. Lawmakers successfully pared back $20,000 on a new water filtration system for Preston Manor, instead electing to spread out the amount on the levy over multiple years. They also eliminated a $10,000 in-school counseling program.
“Ten thousand dollars is $10,000,” said Dennis Brown, vice chairman of the Finance Committee, referring to the school program.
“Man, we are between a rock and a hard place,” the Pharsalia Democrat commented.
“We are doing what every household is doing now,” Osborne said, referring to cutting expenses.
The Commissioner attributed the majority of her department’s increase to Medicaid and the loss of stimulus. There were also more caseloads, a higher daily rate for residential foster care, and some reductions in children’s services program reimbursements.
Osborne estimated that there are 10,544 individuals on Medicaid, or 500 more than last year; 7,430 on food stamps, up 12 percent from last year; and 897 individuals receiving services such as Foster Care and Adult Day Care, also an increase over 2010.
Brown and other members of the committee estimated that DSS impacts between 10,000 and 12,000 county residents.
“Half of the levy goes to 25 percent of the county’s population,” said the committee’s Chairman, Lawrence Wilcox, R-Oxford.
Young said if considering that the public health and mental health departments serve the same population, then it is more likely that 80 percent of what it costs to operate the county goes to 25 percent of the people.
Wilcox pointed to a $20,000 increase on Preston Manor in order to support the 42 seniors who reside there. Osborne later said she has been bombarded with problems at the aging home since taking over as Commissioner almost a decade ago. The roof on both Preston Manor and an adjacent storage garage have been replaced, the Manor’s furnace was replaced, a new wall was built and now the institution needs a new filtration and septic system.
Young estimated that if the residents were placed in a nursing home, it would cost taxpayers about $25,000 per person on the levy.
DSS’s budget was $25,164,110 for 2010 and $23,549,096 for 2009. “There have been constant increases for two years, and at the same time the state has pulled funding away for labor guidance that is supposed to help clients get back to work,” Osborne said.
Just a week prior, Department of Social Services Commissioner Bette Osborne had estimated a $25.8 million budget for 2011, including the county’s home for adults, Preston Manor. After state and federal reimbursements are received for some programs and administration, the local taxpayer share of the department’s total appropriation would amount to $12,317,000, up 12.4 percent from last year.
And, as Osborne had predicted, she originally budgeted the cost for retirement fringe low. Based on recent figures released by the state comptroller’s office, Deputy County Treasurer/Budget Officer Ardean Young said the department’s retirement budget for 2011 would be up 37.7 percent over 2010’s payout, not the 29 percent previously estimated.
Worker salaries increased 3.5 and 3.6 percent. Youngs said most of Chenango County’s government employees will see an increase in retirement fringe of 11.2 to 15.6 percent of their salaries.
Cuts made to the overall budget were admittedly minimal. Lawmakers successfully pared back $20,000 on a new water filtration system for Preston Manor, instead electing to spread out the amount on the levy over multiple years. They also eliminated a $10,000 in-school counseling program.
“Ten thousand dollars is $10,000,” said Dennis Brown, vice chairman of the Finance Committee, referring to the school program.
“Man, we are between a rock and a hard place,” the Pharsalia Democrat commented.
“We are doing what every household is doing now,” Osborne said, referring to cutting expenses.
The Commissioner attributed the majority of her department’s increase to Medicaid and the loss of stimulus. There were also more caseloads, a higher daily rate for residential foster care, and some reductions in children’s services program reimbursements.
Osborne estimated that there are 10,544 individuals on Medicaid, or 500 more than last year; 7,430 on food stamps, up 12 percent from last year; and 897 individuals receiving services such as Foster Care and Adult Day Care, also an increase over 2010.
Brown and other members of the committee estimated that DSS impacts between 10,000 and 12,000 county residents.
“Half of the levy goes to 25 percent of the county’s population,” said the committee’s Chairman, Lawrence Wilcox, R-Oxford.
Young said if considering that the public health and mental health departments serve the same population, then it is more likely that 80 percent of what it costs to operate the county goes to 25 percent of the people.
Wilcox pointed to a $20,000 increase on Preston Manor in order to support the 42 seniors who reside there. Osborne later said she has been bombarded with problems at the aging home since taking over as Commissioner almost a decade ago. The roof on both Preston Manor and an adjacent storage garage have been replaced, the Manor’s furnace was replaced, a new wall was built and now the institution needs a new filtration and septic system.
Young estimated that if the residents were placed in a nursing home, it would cost taxpayers about $25,000 per person on the levy.
DSS’s budget was $25,164,110 for 2010 and $23,549,096 for 2009. “There have been constant increases for two years, and at the same time the state has pulled funding away for labor guidance that is supposed to help clients get back to work,” Osborne said.
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