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Representatives of several human services organizations urged County Legislators to preserve funding for the county’s most vulnerable, as they consider the County budget for 2012.

About 35 people attended the Legislature’s annual Community Budget Forum on the County’s tentative budget currently under review by the Legislature, and nearly half of them spoke.  Among them were representatives of agencies including Loaves and Fishes, the Child Development Council, the Women’s Opportunity Center, Cooperative Extension’s Rural Youth Services program, and the Community Dispute Resolution Center, who said the demand for their services is increasing in today’s economy while sources of support are dwindling, endangering the social safety net.

But Legislators were also urged to be mindful of the burden on taxpayers during these hard financial times, to look toward potential new revenue sources, and to pay attention to the State property tax cap.  A statement submitted by James Moravec, of Ellis Hollow Road, said that in unprecedented hard times, the Legislature must look at reductions, “however painful,” and called for prorated across-the-board cuts to county departments.  Steven Williams, of Ithaca also urged the Legislature to pressure the State to allow additional taxing of tax-exempt facilities to raise additional revenue; he said he can’t afford more than a tax increase of 2%.

The Recommended Budget presented by the County Administrator increases total spending by 1.4%, and reduces the County workforce by 24 positions.  While it starts with the level of spending that can be supported within the property tax cap—an adjusted 2.92%--it recommends a 5.3% levy increase for 2012, in line with the Legislature’s tax levy goal.

Ithacan Ray Schlather told Legislators the issue of whether to overcome the tax cap must be looked at systematically, based on what the community values, and he suggested that more attention be paid to consolidation to more evenly apportion costs.

Several members of the Legislature remarked that this year’s choices will be very difficult.  Legislator Brian Robison said the tax cap is not being forgotten, and Legislators will be wrestling with that, as well as the future of programs, over the coming weeks.  Legislator Pat Pryor said there are those on the Legislature who would like to stay within the cap, but the decision regarding that constraint must be realistic in light of community services.  Urging support for a bill just introduced in the State Senate that would phase out County Medicaid spending over an eight-year period, Legislature Chair Martha Robertson predicted that would lead to an eventual 30% reduction in county taxes.

Legislators meeting as an Expanded Budget Committee will resume hearing departmental budget presentations Tuesday, September 27, and will begin recommending modifications to the administrator’s budget in mid-October.

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