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Legislators acting as an Expanded Budget Committee tonight received an in-depth presentation of County Administrator Joe Mareane’s recommended 2010 County Budget and heard their first four budget presentations, in the first of as many as thirteen review sessions which will take place over the next two months.

The administrator’s Tentative Budget recommends $73.1 million in local spending (a million-dollar reduction from 2009), would increase the tax levy (the total amount of tax revenue collected) by 3%  (meeting the Legislature’s 2010 levy increase goal), and the tax rate (the amount of tax paid per thousand dollars assessed property value) by one cent, to $5.94.

As the review process began, County Administrator Joe Mareane thanked Legislators in advance for the time they will devote to the review process over the next two months.  “The budget we have given you will not be easy to get through,” he said, “and I appreciate the process you have set up to review this budget in a thoughtful and reasoned way.”

The committee heard budget presentations from the County Attorney, the Department of Probation and Community Justice, the Tompkins County Public Library and the county’s rural libraries.  Probation Director Patricia Buechel, whose over-target request to use nearly $45,000 in 2008 rollover funding to offset reduction in state aid reimbursement was recommended by the County Administrator on a one-time basis, but whose requests to restore over $150,000 to support five staff positions were not, said reductions will impact caseloads and strain operations.  The director especially urged Legislators to support funds that would prevent half-time layoffs for a Transition Workforce Specialist and one of two Security Officers at the Community Justice Center.

Both Tompkins County Public Library Director Janet Steiner and the directors of the county’s Rural Libraries told Legislators that demand at their libraries has increased significantly from last year, in terms of attendance, circulation and computer use, with the economy a likely contributor.  Faced with a $330,000 gap in its budget, County Library Director Steiner said the Library has kept four positions vacant, reduced workforce through voluntary hours reductions, and reduced funds for acquisitions, training and development, publicity and technical support, but still faces a $154,000 deficit, which Steiner described as “a gaping hole” in the Library’s budget.  Of that, the County Administrator recommends $35,000 needed to maintain state Maintenance of Effort requirements, which includes $16,000 to preserve a full-time Volunteer Coordinator.  Steiner cautioned that lack of additional funding to fill the gap will “unfortunately and regrettably” lead to layoffs starting in January 2010.  The five rural library directors asked for a total of $10,300 to restore their funding to 2009 levels.

Legislators will review five more program requests, when the committee reconvenes on Thursday, September 10, beginning at 5:00 p.m. at Legislature Chambers in the County Courthouse, the first of six more presentation meetings, before the committee begins to make recommendations.
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