Draft county budget has 1.01 percent tax hike
NORWICH – Chenango County plans to use almost $3.7 million in reserve funds to help offset challenges facing the 2011 fiscal year.
County Treasurer William E. Evans released the 2011 tentative budget Nov. 1, which introduced a $84.1 million spending plan. It was adopted at a meeting of the Finance Committee and is on its way for discussion at a meeting of the Board of Supervisors Monday.
County taxpayers will pay $23,074,933 to fund county government, according to the plan.
The draft budget is a 4.10 percent increase over the 2010 adopted spending plan of $80.8 million.
The $23 million tax levy is a 1.01 percent increase over the 2010 tax levy and represents an average tax rate of $12.73 per $1,000 of assessed valuation. The proposed average countywide tax rate will fluctuate, either increasing or decreasing, in all 22 municipalities based on state-established equalization rates.
The treasurer helped stabilize the tax rate by using $3.68 million from fund balance. Though Finance Committee Vice Chairman Dennis Brown, D-Pharsalia, said he was “uncomfortable” with the amount and “worried” that it might not be acceptable to the full board, Chairman Lawrence Wilcox, R-Oxford, described it as “prudent method of balancing what the taxpayers have to pay versus the loss of government aid and rising costs.”
The county began the year with $18.44 million in surplus. Appropriations made throughout the year and the application for next year would drop the general fund down to $13.71 million (as projected at this time).
In the past the county has aimed to retain $10M as a sufficient fund balance. But now, given lost aid and slow growth in sales tax, the treasurer recommended keeping between $12M to $15M on hand.
Evans is stepping down Dec. 31 after 23 years as Chenango County treasurer and budget officer.
Sales tax collections for the third quarter were up 3.68 percent over same period last year. Evans referred to last year’s 4th quarter collections to estimate $6.85 million for 2011.
Evans examined bricks and mortar growth from 2009 to 2010 and the county’s taxable value to calculate the application of surplus and determine the levy. Real Property Tax Director Steven Harris reported 13.03 percent in growth, including increases from natural gas wells.
Taxes paid on gas production contributed greatly to the county from 2009 to 2010. According to Harris, the physical increase was $16.8 million, or 13.03 percent. Without the gas wells, the county’s bricks and mortar growth would be just $7.9 million, or 6.15 percent over 2009.
The taxable value of the Town of Smyrna (home to 28 active wells) is $51,426, up $9.5 million. Depending on towns’ equalization rates and portions of the county’s budget, Smyrna taxpayers could pay a larger portion of the county’s budget than before, Harris said.
Mandated programs represent more than 70 percent of budget. Medicaid payments alone are projected to be about $11.372 million versus the $11 million budgeted in 2010. Medicaid costs for this year’s budget were underwritten by $1.36 million in Federal Medical Assistance Percentages (FMAP) stimulus. An additional $1.2 million in stimulus that arrived late in 2009 was put away in reserves to defray tax increases in coming years. This year’s FMAP stimulus to the county fell to $667,000.
Evans said his department “didn’t blindly accept stimulus money” to cover expenses and “held fast” to it. The plan was to use portions for 2011 and again in 2012, he said.
The Finance Committee scrutinized departments’ equipment, travel and training expenses and eliminated nearly $8,000 worth of unnecessary equipment. Brown led an unsuccessful effort to cut one of four vehicles requested for the highway department. The equipment list for all departments, most of which is partially funded by either state or federal cost-sharing, totaled more than $893,388.
The budget would eliminate funding for two positions and dissolve three departments.
Wilcox’s committee discussed a myriad of methods for cutting government in the coming years, from privatization of services, consolidation of departments, and opening compensation negotiations with the four unions that represent Chenango County.
“Taxpayers are more unemployed than they were last year,” the Finance Committee Chairman said. “We’ve made no cuts really; just holding costs now.”
State law requires counties to file budgets no later than Nov. 15. Budget meetings for lawmakers are scheduled Nov. 12 and Nov. 15, followed by a public hearing on Nov. 30.
The county must adopt its budget by Dec. 20, or fall back to the tentative budget as filed.
County Treasurer William E. Evans released the 2011 tentative budget Nov. 1, which introduced a $84.1 million spending plan. It was adopted at a meeting of the Finance Committee and is on its way for discussion at a meeting of the Board of Supervisors Monday.
County taxpayers will pay $23,074,933 to fund county government, according to the plan.
The draft budget is a 4.10 percent increase over the 2010 adopted spending plan of $80.8 million.
The $23 million tax levy is a 1.01 percent increase over the 2010 tax levy and represents an average tax rate of $12.73 per $1,000 of assessed valuation. The proposed average countywide tax rate will fluctuate, either increasing or decreasing, in all 22 municipalities based on state-established equalization rates.
The treasurer helped stabilize the tax rate by using $3.68 million from fund balance. Though Finance Committee Vice Chairman Dennis Brown, D-Pharsalia, said he was “uncomfortable” with the amount and “worried” that it might not be acceptable to the full board, Chairman Lawrence Wilcox, R-Oxford, described it as “prudent method of balancing what the taxpayers have to pay versus the loss of government aid and rising costs.”
The county began the year with $18.44 million in surplus. Appropriations made throughout the year and the application for next year would drop the general fund down to $13.71 million (as projected at this time).
In the past the county has aimed to retain $10M as a sufficient fund balance. But now, given lost aid and slow growth in sales tax, the treasurer recommended keeping between $12M to $15M on hand.
Evans is stepping down Dec. 31 after 23 years as Chenango County treasurer and budget officer.
Sales tax collections for the third quarter were up 3.68 percent over same period last year. Evans referred to last year’s 4th quarter collections to estimate $6.85 million for 2011.
Evans examined bricks and mortar growth from 2009 to 2010 and the county’s taxable value to calculate the application of surplus and determine the levy. Real Property Tax Director Steven Harris reported 13.03 percent in growth, including increases from natural gas wells.
Taxes paid on gas production contributed greatly to the county from 2009 to 2010. According to Harris, the physical increase was $16.8 million, or 13.03 percent. Without the gas wells, the county’s bricks and mortar growth would be just $7.9 million, or 6.15 percent over 2009.
The taxable value of the Town of Smyrna (home to 28 active wells) is $51,426, up $9.5 million. Depending on towns’ equalization rates and portions of the county’s budget, Smyrna taxpayers could pay a larger portion of the county’s budget than before, Harris said.
Mandated programs represent more than 70 percent of budget. Medicaid payments alone are projected to be about $11.372 million versus the $11 million budgeted in 2010. Medicaid costs for this year’s budget were underwritten by $1.36 million in Federal Medical Assistance Percentages (FMAP) stimulus. An additional $1.2 million in stimulus that arrived late in 2009 was put away in reserves to defray tax increases in coming years. This year’s FMAP stimulus to the county fell to $667,000.
Evans said his department “didn’t blindly accept stimulus money” to cover expenses and “held fast” to it. The plan was to use portions for 2011 and again in 2012, he said.
The Finance Committee scrutinized departments’ equipment, travel and training expenses and eliminated nearly $8,000 worth of unnecessary equipment. Brown led an unsuccessful effort to cut one of four vehicles requested for the highway department. The equipment list for all departments, most of which is partially funded by either state or federal cost-sharing, totaled more than $893,388.
The budget would eliminate funding for two positions and dissolve three departments.
Wilcox’s committee discussed a myriad of methods for cutting government in the coming years, from privatization of services, consolidation of departments, and opening compensation negotiations with the four unions that represent Chenango County.
“Taxpayers are more unemployed than they were last year,” the Finance Committee Chairman said. “We’ve made no cuts really; just holding costs now.”
State law requires counties to file budgets no later than Nov. 15. Budget meetings for lawmakers are scheduled Nov. 12 and Nov. 15, followed by a public hearing on Nov. 30.
The county must adopt its budget by Dec. 20, or fall back to the tentative budget as filed.
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