Legislature approves amended budget

BUFFALO, N.Y. (RELEASE) - The Erie County Legislature today approved the County Executive’s $1.4 billion budget with amendments.

Highlights include: holding the line on property taxes while restoring funding to maintain Erie County’s primary health services, increasing funding for economic development such as culturals, libraries and Erie Community College. The amended budget approved is balanced. About 88 percent of the proposed budget is state and federally mandated.

The package the County Legislature approved reduces spending where possible and continues to fund essential services and economic engines, such as culturals, tourism, Operation Prime Time (youth services) and the Olmsted Parks Conservancy.

HEALTH SERVICES

Restored $2.2 million in funding for primary health services upon the county executive eliminating the two remaining Erie County health clinics: the Jesse E. Nash Health Care Center and Pediatrics at 608 William Street and the Dr. Matt Gajewski Human Services Center at 1500 Broadway.

REVENUES

Hold the line on property taxes.
Accepting the County Executive’s assumptions of flat sales tax revenues in 2010.

REDUCTIONS

Reduced step increases for commissioners and some deputies where appropriate.

Accepted the recommendations of the Erie County Fiscal Stability Authority by reducing financing payments by $122,000 and by increasing the turnover account by $3.3 million, up to $6,109,322.

Also reduced professional services contracts where major increases were requested and found efficiencies in every department.

ADJUSTMENTS AND ALLOCATIONS

Created three new narcotics detective positions, three new dispatcher positions and a new warrant officer in the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, all within the department’s budget.

Restored cultural-tourism funding by $1.4 million to provide parity to all organizations and maintain the quality of these services for county residents by funding the previously funded cultural and arts organizations at their 2008 levels. The Democratic Majority also funded six additional cultural organizations. These are non-recurring expenses.

The Democratic Majority also supported the county executive’s increase of $750,000 in funding for the Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Buffalo Convention Center. The combined funding increase shows the legislature’s commitment to funding the agencies responsible for helping drive Erie County’s economic tourism engine.

Operation Prime Time funding for Youth was established at $400,000, which will allow for summer youth programming. New York State has yet to indicate matching monies in 2010.

Again created a matching grant for the Olmsted Parks with $360,000, allowing funds from foundations and other sources.

Provided $750,000 for restoration of library services. Libraries continue with a slight increase in funding of $27,257,766.

Established a $100,000 Distressed Real Properties Matching Fund to address Erie County’s growing problem with vacant, abandoned and blighted properties.

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 or adjusting certain grant appropriations and revenues without legislature approval.

 

NEXT STEPS

Now that the County Legislature has approved a budget, the County Executive has one week to act to veto any of the Legislature’s additions. Deletions are not subject to veto.

If any vetoes are made, the County Legislature will meet to vote on overriding the vetoes Tuesday, December 8, 2009, in the Legislature Chambers on the Fourth Floor of 92 Franklin Street in Buffalo.

Any technical amendments or adjustments to the 2010 budget may be offered in January 2010.