2017 County budget passes unanimously, Chenango remains debt-free
CHENANGO COUNTY – The Chenango County Board of Supervisors moved to adopt the proposed 2017 budget at their special meeting on Tuesday night which followed a presentation by County Treasurer Bill Craine and a public hearing.
Craine presented the 2017 preliminary budget to the public at the meeting where he emphasized that the County is in good financial standing as one of the least fiscally stressed counties in the State, as well as being one of only two counties who has no debt.
One financial stressor, according to Craine, is that New York State is the only state in the country that requires counties to provide a portion of their real property tax levy to support Medicaid. Craine says that about $188,000 a week is sent to Albany, and that totals nearly 40 percent of the County's local real property tax levy of $25 million.
Craine proceeded to note that one disturbing trend in the County is the demographic trend. Since 2010, Chenango County's population has dropped 3 percent. Craine said that a study conducted by Cornell University a few years ago indicated that the County's population would be down to $38,000 or $39,000 in the next 30 years, but the study is currently being updated.
After the presentation, three Chenango County residents spoke during the public hearing portion of the meeting, each of whom had an opportunity to ask the Board questions as well as voice their concerns and suggestions for the County moving forward.
One of the three County residents to speak was Town of Guilford resident Gilda Ward, who asked the Board about numerous line items before asking the treasurer how much of the mandated portions of the the budget were unfunded and thus passed forward to the taxpayers, to which Craine replied that the mandates are mostly unfunded.
Canice Paliotta of South Oxford was the final speaker of the public hearing portion where she spoke to the Board among other things about inviting them to have vision and innovation to keep the ball rolling in the right direction. Paliotta commended the Board for their hard work and for having the County in such decent financial standing, but also invited them to look for new, innovative ways to get ahead including looking into the potential of instituting hemp as an additional agricultural product in the County.
Once the public hearing session was adjourned, the Board proceeded to adopt the 2017 budget by a unanimous vote of 17 yeses with six absent.
The Board then adjourned until next month's meeting on December 12 at 10:30 a.m.
Craine presented the 2017 preliminary budget to the public at the meeting where he emphasized that the County is in good financial standing as one of the least fiscally stressed counties in the State, as well as being one of only two counties who has no debt.
One financial stressor, according to Craine, is that New York State is the only state in the country that requires counties to provide a portion of their real property tax levy to support Medicaid. Craine says that about $188,000 a week is sent to Albany, and that totals nearly 40 percent of the County's local real property tax levy of $25 million.
Craine proceeded to note that one disturbing trend in the County is the demographic trend. Since 2010, Chenango County's population has dropped 3 percent. Craine said that a study conducted by Cornell University a few years ago indicated that the County's population would be down to $38,000 or $39,000 in the next 30 years, but the study is currently being updated.
After the presentation, three Chenango County residents spoke during the public hearing portion of the meeting, each of whom had an opportunity to ask the Board questions as well as voice their concerns and suggestions for the County moving forward.
One of the three County residents to speak was Town of Guilford resident Gilda Ward, who asked the Board about numerous line items before asking the treasurer how much of the mandated portions of the the budget were unfunded and thus passed forward to the taxpayers, to which Craine replied that the mandates are mostly unfunded.
Canice Paliotta of South Oxford was the final speaker of the public hearing portion where she spoke to the Board among other things about inviting them to have vision and innovation to keep the ball rolling in the right direction. Paliotta commended the Board for their hard work and for having the County in such decent financial standing, but also invited them to look for new, innovative ways to get ahead including looking into the potential of instituting hemp as an additional agricultural product in the County.
Once the public hearing session was adjourned, the Board proceeded to adopt the 2017 budget by a unanimous vote of 17 yeses with six absent.
The Board then adjourned until next month's meeting on December 12 at 10:30 a.m.
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