Buffalo Rising Online

Dec 3rd 2008, 12:00am By Elena Cala Buscarino

The Erie County Legislature has approved an amended 2009 Erie County budget in a "surgical approach" by accepting the amendments approved last week by the Finance, Management and Budget Committee, but - much to County Executive Chris Collins' dismay - eliminating his previously proposed tax rate increase.

By holding the line on property taxes, Collins' $1.2 billion proposal was cut by about $9.5 million, while providing for essential services such as public safety, health, human services and emergency services.

In this budget, nearly 86 percent of projected costs are allocated for state and federally mandated spending. Still, the County Legislature managed restore nearly $1 million to the spending plan.

Chair of Finance, Management and Budget Committee Kathy Konst said the legislature goes about making their decisions for allocations based on public hearings that the legislature holds, which the county executive does not attend. "This past November 12th, 65 people came in and testified organizations," Konst said. "We are in total connection with the public that we serve. They come to our offices, our meetings, knock on our doors."

As for the County Executive Chris Collins' input on the amended budget, Konst says she's expecting a big disagreement, something she bases solely on what she picked up from the media last night and this morning, since the budget was presented.

"It sounds like Collins will try to veto it, and we would have to override it. He can go for the entire budget, or specific additions - the only thing he has the ability to go after - and we won't know until we get formal documents," Konst stated. "We've written in over $1 million in reallocations, with a slight bump up for certain culturals. Olmsted has a budget and pot of $360 thousand that they would be responsible for matching in order to get. We may look differently at how we fund all of our culturals in the future."

As for Collins' recommendations, Konst said, "Collins didn't follow Erie County Cultural Resources Advisory Board (ECCRAB) recommendations. For someone who says he's apolitical, he plays politics better than anyone I've met. We need to find a way to be equitable and fund organizations. We said let's look at this year and return 95 percent for this year, while Collins allocated 120 percent to some and zero to others. There has to be fair distribution. What the board came up with and what Collins proposed didn't match."

And if Collins vetoes the budget amendments on December 8th, Konst went on to say, "The legislature voted 11 to 4. We're in new territory right now – I don't think there's ever been an executive veto. We need a minimum of 10 to override his veto. I understand that they're trying to build 5 percent surplus, but you can't build a rainy day fund at the expense of public safety and quality of life.

"We had almost unanimous support for prop tax increase...knew we'd have to cut $9.5 million to give the culturals $1 million, but we have to compromise, build concensus. A perfect negotiation keeps a respective eye to making cuts, page by page through the book, and within reason." Konst said special consideration was given to entities that could draw tourists and dollars, and to those where public safety was an issue.

Democratic members of the committee are: Legislator Kathy Konst, chair; Legislator Robert B. Reynolds Jr., vice chair; Legislator Betty Jean Grant, Majority Leader Maria R. Whyte, Legislator Barbara Miller-Williams and Legislature Chair Lynn M. Marinelli. The Republican members are Minority Leader John Mills and Legislator Edward Rath.

The goal of the legislature was to reduce spending where possible, while continuing to fund essential services as well as providing funds to economic engines such as culturals, tourism, the Olmsted Parks, the Cornell Cooperative Extension, Erie County Soil and Water and Operation Prime Time, which is a youth service.
REVENUES

- Accepting the County Executive’s assumptions of flat sales tax revenues in 2009.

- Held the line on property taxes, cutting the County Executive’s proposal by $8 million.

- Voted for the County Executive’s proposal, raising parks fees, with amendments, by $236,300, at the December 1 session.

- Voted for the County Executive’s proposal raising Health Department fees by $40,697 at the November 20 session.

- Accepted the County Executive’s proposal to raise recording fees by $300,000, which will be voted on in December by local law.

REDUCTIONS

- Reduced and restructured the County Legislature’s budget for personnel and non-personnel items by more than $265,000.

- Further reduced non-personnel line items throughout all Erie County departments by $3,479,407.

- Further reduced personnel line items throughout all Erie County departments by more than $550,000.

- Increased turnover account by $1,685,000, up to $2,805,000, for further vacancy savings.

- Reduced the Risk Retention Fund’s appropriation for insurance charges by $2,000,000.

RESTORATIONS

- Restored cultural-tourism funding by $279,405 to provide parity to all organizations and maintain the quality of these services for county residents.

- Restored the Cornell Cooperative Extension Service appropriation amount at $280,250, which the County Executive recommended zero funding for in 2009. This allows for Cornell Cooperative to accept New York State grant funding.

- Restored the Erie County Soil and Water Conservation appropriation at $161,500, which the County Executive also recommended zero funding for in 2009.

- Operation Prime Time funding in the Youth Bureau had its funding increased by $100,000, which will allow the youth program to accept New York State grant funding.

- Created a matching grant for the Olmsted Parks with $360,000 allowing foundations and other funding sources to match upon the County park commissioner’s plan.

RESOLUTIONS AND REFORMS

- Continued budget monitoring and oversight through the Budget Accountability Act. Each organization must provide the Legislature a budget that includes measurable goals and objectives. A close-out report to the Legislature is due at the end of the year.

- The Legislature returned language to continue to conduct its mid-year budget hearings as part of its fiscal oversight duties.

- Added prior legislative approval to several categories, including prohibiting the County Executive from giving variable minimum salaries without prior legislature approval and authorizing the Budget Director to adjust certain grant appropriations and revenues subject to legislature approval.

- Recognized the Erie County Medical Center Corporation’s liability at $5.33 million for 2009 and directed the County Executive to negotiate and propose a plan. Instructed the Erie County Board of Elections to stay within budget while recognizing the implementation of HAVA, and provides increases for inspectors’ stipends from $132 to $145.
NEXT STEPS

Now that the County Legislature has approved a budget, the County Executive has one week, until Monday, December 8, to act to veto any of the Legislature’s additions. If any vetoes are made, the County Legislature can meet to vote on overriding these vetoes.

The Erie County Fiscal Stability Authority will then vote on accepting or rejecting the budget.

Any technical amendments or adjustments to the 2009 budget may be offered in January 2009.