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Tompkins County Administrator Steve Whicher has delivered to the County Legislature a 2008 Tentative Budget that meets the Legislature’s goal of a tax levy increase of no more than 2 percent. This year’s proposed budget, he says, is one that he can recommend.

“I recommend this budget in full, if the Legislature believes that the 2 percent goal given to me is in the best interest of the County,” Mr. Whicher states in a cover letter to the budget document. “I anticipate, however, that your review will result in changes in both spending and tax levy, since the Legislature may decide to replace one-time funding in several areas, and because I have not provided target funding for new initiatives or positions. In addition, the capital program could be strengthened through the addition of target funding.”

The recommended budget increases local spending by only about 1.2 percent, to just over $72 million, a net spending increase of approximately $870,000. The budget is supported by a projected $1 million increase in sales tax revenue, a reduced reliance on the County’s surplus General Fund, and a tax levy increase of approximately $700,000. Once again this year, $1 million has been allocated from the County’s surplus fund balance to reduce the tax levy.

The capital portion of the budget, based on the 20-Year Capital Plan, includes target funding to support interest-only payments for initial bonding of the Health Department building and the Ellis Hollow Road reconstruction. Over $500,000 in fund balance was used to cover major short-term capital projects.

The 2 percent increase in the tax levy (the total amount of property tax revenue collected) would increase the projected tax rate (the amount of tax per thousand dollars assessed valuation) to $6.80, an increase of only six-tenths of one percent.

“Although this budget involves some challenges, it must be recognized that this year represents a considerable relief, when one looks back over the past five years,” the administrator notes. “This results primarily from the Medicaid cap, the strong local economy and the Legislature’s decision to raise taxes in past years. Excellent work by budget personnel in each department and agency also contributed to significant improvement in budget preparation this year.”

Administrator Whicher will formally present the Tentative Budget to Legislators at the first meeting of the County’s the Expanded Budget Committee today, September 17, beginning at 3:00 p.m. in Legislature Chambers at the Tompkins County Courthouse, 320 N. Tioga Street, Ithaca. The recommended budget will be reviewed by the Expanded Budget Committee (any Legislator may participate) during a series of meetings that will continue throughout September and October. At these meetings, departments and agencies will have the opportunity to explain their budget requests and how program will be affected if requests are not funded. The Expanded Budget Committee will accept or alter the Tentative Budget and, at the end of its deliberations, will present to the Legislature the Tentative Budget with its recommended changes. The Legislature then will vote on whether to accept the changes, and the amended Tentative Budget will be presented to the public for comment.

To gather public input while the Expanded Budget Committee’s deliberations are in process, the County will sponsor a public information meeting on the Tentative Budget on Monday, October 1, beginning at 7:00 p.m., at the Boynton Middle School cafeteria, 1601 N. Cayuga Street, Ithaca. The formal public hearing to accept comment on the amended Tentative Budget is expected to take place on November 7, with a vote on the final budget November 20.

Public copies of the 2008 Tentative Budget are available at the County Administration office, 125 East Court Street, and at the Office of the County Legislature, 320 North Tioga Street. The document also will be posted on the County website at www.tompkins-co.org .

LOCAL SPENDING
2007 Adopted	2008 Requested	2008 Tentative	Percent change
71,208,654	$73,078,259	$72,075,267	1.2%
PROPERTY TAX LEVY
2007 Adopted	2008 Requested	2008 Tentative	Percent change
$34,787,186	$37,328,438	$35,481,976	2.0%
PROPERTY TAX RATE
2007 Adopted	2008 Requested	2008 Tentative	Percent change
$6.76	$7.16	$6.80	0%

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