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Legislators acting as an Expanded Budget Committee moved ahead in the 2012 County Budget process tonight, recommending for consideration by the Legislature an amended tentative 2012 County budget that would raise the tax levy by 3.99%.  The recommended amended budget, to be presented to the Legislature next Tuesday, would increase the countywide average tax rate by 3.1%, to $6.67 per thousand dollars assessed property value.  The tax increase for an average $160,000 home would rise by $31.85.

The budget would reduce County Administrator Joe Mareane’s recommended budget by $572,000.  Its recommended levy increase of 3.99% compares with a 5.4% levy increase that had been recommended by the Administrator to meet the Legislature’s initial 2012 tax levy goal, and is a little more than 1% above the estimated 2.9% levy increase consistent with the State property tax cap.

Legislators recommended the package by a 12-2 vote, with Legislators Will Burbank and Carol Chock voting no, and Legislator Peter Stein excused.  Both Burbank and Chock objected to the budget in light of the tax cap.  Burbank maintained the outcome does not adequately address the County’s long-term needs, and the Legislature should not “cede to the State this artificial mechanism of the tax cap.”  Chock said she cannot accept the budget and voiced her support for local control.  Legislator Dooley Kiefer said that, while she supported the recommended budget to advance it to the Legislature, but probably will not support it later on.  Several Legislators also said they’d like more detail on the capital program before the Legislature votes on the amended budget.

Legislator Pat Pryor said she supports moving the budget along to the Legislature, but had hoped further cuts can be made before final action.  Legislator Mike Lane said the budget process has been productive, although he wishes more program cuts had been made.  Legislature Chair Martha Robertson called the recommended budget a very good compromise that reflects Legislators’ shared values.

Many Legislators thanked staff for the effort that has gone into preparation and review of the budget.  County Administrator Joe Mareane said he believes the recommended amended budget is “a sustainable budget” that will maintain County services with a modest tax rate.

Before reaching a recommendation and in revisiting prior decisions, Legislators made two changes, recommendations that may still be reconsidered as the process continues and will need approval of the full Legislature, as part of the budget, to become final.

ROLLOVER REDUCTION:
Legislators, by a vote of 9-6, reduced rollover funding for the Department of Social Services by $43,000, moving the funds to target spending to reduce the tax levy.  The action was initially proposed as a split to be shared by DSS and the Health Department, but then modified to affect only DSS.  Social Services Commission Patricia Carey said her department could live with the reduction.  A proposal to apply the rollover funding to the fund balance, instead of to lowering the tax levy, failed by a vote of 4-11.  Legislator Burbank, who proposed the amendment, called the goal of seeking to get the levy increase below 4% “horribly shortsighted,” and Legislator Peter Stein again expressed serious concern about taking such steps that affect reserves.  The right approach, Stein maintained, would be to reduce the levy by further spending cuts.  Another proposal to reduce rollover by an additional $82,000, to reduce the tax levy, failed by a 4-11 vote.

ASSESSMENT:
By a 9-6 vote, Legislators also unfunded the restoration of $17,364 to provide staff support to document and verify information concerning natural gas leases.  In response to questions, Assessment Director Jay Franklin said such work will need to be performed sometime in the future, although not necessarily now.

Other actions:

A proposed $75,000 reduction for the Highway paving program failed by a 3-12 vote.

Three proposed reductions affecting the Planning Department were considered, but failed to win support:

• A proposed $33,000 reduction in over-target spending to return staffing to this year’s level failed by a vote of 7-8.
• A proposal to unfund over-target spending to support a part-time Senior Planner position failed by a vote of 6-9.
• A proposal to overturn restoration of $25,250 to support the stream monitoring program was defeated by a 5-10 vote.

On Tuesday, November 1, the Legislature will consider the recommended amended budget.  Once the Legislature formally adopts recommended amendments to the County Administrator’s budget, that package becomes the basis of deliberations, including the Legislature’s public hearing on the budget.  The public hearing will take place Wednesday, November 9, beginning at 7:00 p.m. at Legislature Chambers of the County Courthouse, 320 N. Tioga Street, Ithaca.  The Legislature’s budget adoption vote is scheduled November 15.

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