Archive: News

The Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee today heard a sobering assessment regarding how the Governor’s executive budget for the coming fiscal year could affect county government and local health and human services programs.  The committee called the special session to hear reports of anticipated budget impacts from the County Departments of Social Services, Health, and Youth Services, and Office for the Aging, as well as other county agencies affected by State funding decisions.

County Administrator Joe Mareane cautioned that the Governor’s budget carries close to $1.3 million in direct cuts to County programs—many retroactive—that, once adopted, will be felt in the County’s 2011 budget year.  “These cuts are our reality as of April,” the administrator warned, and he urged legislators to think about how the County can respond to and absorb the cuts in the current budget. Another big question, he said, is how Medicaid redesign could affect reimbursement rates received for direct health and mental health services provided, with $4 million in budgeted Medicaid revenue at risk in the 2011 budget.

Among the expected budget impacts:  a more than $700,000 local cost shift for the Department of Social Services—from such elements as changing policies and formulas for welfare assistance and adoption subsidies, and preventive services for youth and families.  Both those and Youth Services programs would be among those affected by a new Primary Prevention Incentive Program, which eliminates current program funding streams, cuts available funding by half, and allocates the funds through a competitive block grant process.  Youth Services forecasts a potential County loss of nearly $225,000 from eliminating current youth services grants, a system Youth Services Director Amie Hendrix said also would eliminate the current youth bureau system.  The Health Department would lose more than $200,000 to support so-called “optional” services, including the Medical Examiner program, emergency medical services, and administration and coordination for the Early Intervention program.  Aging-related losses include $47,000 for the NYConnects Program supporting access and assistance for consumers seeking long-term care services and elimination of more than $3,000 supporting health and wellness programs for seniors.

Human Services Coalition director Kathy Schlather reported that close to a dozen coalition agencies could experience total cuts in excess of half-a-million dollars, with another $90,000 lost for the Coalition from lost funding for statewide 2-1-1 services.  Tompkins Community Action director Lee Dillon said the proposed state budget could reduce support for her agency’s programs by more than $300,000.  Directors of Franziska Racker Centers, Challenge, and Family and Children’s Service all expressed concern about the impact of Medicaid redesign. Both Racker Centers director Roger Sibley and Challenge director Patrick McKee also maintained what is really needed is the reengineering of state programs to develop a sustainable system, instead of preserving an inefficient one and ordering ongoing budget cuts.

Committee chair Frank Proto predicted the reductions, if approved, “will have a severe effect” on Tompkins County, including jobs and its economy.  Legislature Chair Martha Robertson stressed that it is the people who receive the services who must be the focus, and Legislator Will Burbank urged that the County should not simply accept the situation and must “push back” strongly against the cuts, for the good of the community.

v7i10