County’s budget plans hinge on state pension, community college chargeback mandates
NORWICH – Chenango County is anticipating a $4.25 million payout next year for government employee pension contributions. Coupled with a bill approaching $1 million for community college chargebacks and restricted to a 2 percent cap on property tax increases, budgeters aren’t sure how to plan for 2013.
Counties’ retirement plan contributions, and the contributions of all employers in the state’s system, will increase from 18.9 to 20.9 percent for non-uniform and from 25.8 to 28.9 percent for police and fire of payroll next year, according to the New York State Comptroller’s office. Since 2000, county pension contributions have grown from $47 million to more than $900 million in 2012.
Back in 2009, Chenango County’s contribution was $1.32 million; in 2010 it was $2.30 million; and in 2011, $3.17 million. Treasurer William Craine said he is expecting a bill for $3.9 million this year.
“A three million pension increase in four years? There’s no question; it increases a lot of pressure,” he said Wednesday. The Finance Committee was scheduled to meet today to go over this and other department’s draft budget plans.
Traditionally, Chenango County has kept property tax increases between 1 and 1.5 percent, much less than the 2 percent tax cap that state leaders enacted in 2011. Revenues from real property taxes were about $25 million in 2011. But even with the cap, the county is still limited to raising only $550,000 more, not nearly enough to cover the pension mandate.
New York State Association of Counties Executive Director Stephen J. Acquario said growing pension contribution mandates are “simply unsustainable” and “causes fiscal problems in every New York county.”
“When state laders enacted the property tax cap in 2011, they promised mandate relief,” he said. “Despite that promise, our costs continue to rise at unsustainable rates. Without it, our communities face a continued loss of county services, programs and staff.”
Another burdensome bill from New York - this one for community college chargebacks - thwarts the county’s spending plans. Under 1940s era state education law, counties are required to pay a portion of tuition for every resident who attends a community college located in another county. Since Morrisville State College in Norwich is a state university, that would be a chargeback for every Chenango County student attending community college.
The chargebacks from Broome Community College, the principal school that Chenango County students attend, went up 45 percent in 2011, and another 15 percent in 2012. Tompkins Cortland Community College, another popular college here, increased by 11 percent.
“Assuming that the same number of students attend, we are going to pay Broome another $200,000 more than we did two years ago,” said Craine.
At an estimated $950,000, next year’s community college bill represents more than 4 percent of Chenango County’s $23 million government budget.
“When community college chargebacks and pensions go up by more than that (what you can raise in property taxes), you have to hustle around in other places. Fortunately, sales tax has been going well and our department heads are doing a very good job (containing costs), but it reaches a point where you don’t have any place to turn,” Craine said. “We think the school district has high school taxes, but the county has a pretty big college burden there.”
Counties’ retirement plan contributions, and the contributions of all employers in the state’s system, will increase from 18.9 to 20.9 percent for non-uniform and from 25.8 to 28.9 percent for police and fire of payroll next year, according to the New York State Comptroller’s office. Since 2000, county pension contributions have grown from $47 million to more than $900 million in 2012.
Back in 2009, Chenango County’s contribution was $1.32 million; in 2010 it was $2.30 million; and in 2011, $3.17 million. Treasurer William Craine said he is expecting a bill for $3.9 million this year.
“A three million pension increase in four years? There’s no question; it increases a lot of pressure,” he said Wednesday. The Finance Committee was scheduled to meet today to go over this and other department’s draft budget plans.
Traditionally, Chenango County has kept property tax increases between 1 and 1.5 percent, much less than the 2 percent tax cap that state leaders enacted in 2011. Revenues from real property taxes were about $25 million in 2011. But even with the cap, the county is still limited to raising only $550,000 more, not nearly enough to cover the pension mandate.
New York State Association of Counties Executive Director Stephen J. Acquario said growing pension contribution mandates are “simply unsustainable” and “causes fiscal problems in every New York county.”
“When state laders enacted the property tax cap in 2011, they promised mandate relief,” he said. “Despite that promise, our costs continue to rise at unsustainable rates. Without it, our communities face a continued loss of county services, programs and staff.”
Another burdensome bill from New York - this one for community college chargebacks - thwarts the county’s spending plans. Under 1940s era state education law, counties are required to pay a portion of tuition for every resident who attends a community college located in another county. Since Morrisville State College in Norwich is a state university, that would be a chargeback for every Chenango County student attending community college.
The chargebacks from Broome Community College, the principal school that Chenango County students attend, went up 45 percent in 2011, and another 15 percent in 2012. Tompkins Cortland Community College, another popular college here, increased by 11 percent.
“Assuming that the same number of students attend, we are going to pay Broome another $200,000 more than we did two years ago,” said Craine.
At an estimated $950,000, next year’s community college bill represents more than 4 percent of Chenango County’s $23 million government budget.
“When community college chargebacks and pensions go up by more than that (what you can raise in property taxes), you have to hustle around in other places. Fortunately, sales tax has been going well and our department heads are doing a very good job (containing costs), but it reaches a point where you don’t have any place to turn,” Craine said. “We think the school district has high school taxes, but the county has a pretty big college burden there.”
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