LAWMAKERS RETURN FROM ALBANY CONFERENCE ARMED TO FIGHT MEDICAID
COSTS
Sporting red “Cap Medicaid” caps, Legislature Chair Tim Joseph and
Budget Committee Chair Peter Penniman reported on a recent visit to a conference
of the New York State Association of Counties (NYSAC) in Albany. Putting
the brakes on local Medicaid costs is the top priority of NYSAC and counties
across the state, Penniman reported. Joseph concurred and read a list of
items in the Governor’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2003-2004 that
will push more expenses down to the local level and leave counties with
no recourse but to raise property taxes. Among the proposals in the Governor’s
budget is a cap on only the state’s portion of Medicaid spending, forcing
counties to pick up the rest of the cost. While the Governor has put forward
some cost containment measures for Medicaid, those measures help the state,
but not the counties, said Joseph, and other proposals directly transfer
more – not less – Medicaid cost burden to the counties. The Governor’s
budget also proposes cuts in state aid to the County Health Department,
Office for the Aging, Social Services, and Probation Department. Noting
the damage to the economy of high local taxes, Joseph said that Tompkins
County must put persistent pressure on its representatives in the State
Assembly and Senate. “It is critically important that we be in close contact
with our Assembly and Senate representatives to impress on them the consequences
of huge property tax increases. We need to make this clear to everyone
we come in contact with,” said Joseph. In a related report, Finance Director
David Squires noted that the County’s Medicaid cost for 2002 was 20 percent
more than in 2001. Contacts: Tim Joseph, Chair of the Legislature, 277-2519;
Peter Penniman, Chair, Budget & Capital Committee, 387-3928, 387-5897.
TC3 PRESIDENT PREVIEWS PROBABLE CONSEQUENCES OF REDUCED STATE AID
Tompkins Cortland Community College (TC3) President Carl Haynes visited
the Legislature to report negative consequences to the college of the Governor’s
budget for fiscal year 2003-2004. Haynes noted that the Governor’s proposed
cuts include 15 percent less in base aid, a reduction of $345 per full
time student. The total loss in aid to the college is potentially over
$1 million for the coming year, said Haynes. On the other hand, Haynes
pointed out the positive economic impact of having the college and its
students in the community. Haynes also predicted that rising tuition at
SUNY 4-year colleges will result in more students attending community colleges.
In response to a question from County Administrator Steve Whicher about
whether the college will be asking for more support from the sponsoring
counties, Tompkins and Cortland, Haynes replied that TC3 may have to ask
for more county funds to offset large tuition increases. Contact: Tim Joseph,
Chair of the Legislature, 277-2519.
LEGISLATURE FAILS TO APPROVE RAISES FOR MENTAL HEALTH DOCTORS
An effort to increase annual raises in salaries for the medical director
and staff psychiatrists at the Mental Health Department failed by a 7 -
7 vote. A resolution that would have increased the raises from 2.77 percent
to 4.25 percent found support from Barbara Blanchard, Richard Booth, Michael
Koplinka-Loehr, Michael Lane, Peter Penniman, Martha Robertson, and Thomas
Todd. Those voting against the raises were Kathy Luz Herrera, Tim Joseph,
Dooley Kiefer, Frank Proto, Nancy Schuler, George Totman, and Daniel Winch.
Leslyn McBean was absent. The resolution would have brought the increases
in line with the annual raises negotiated by the County's white collar
bargaining unit. The medical director and psychiatrist positions pay wages
ranging from $130,417 to $141,285, making them competitive in the employment
market but considerably above the County's standard salaries. The positions
are fully state-funded and bring in additional state revenue, noted Michael
Koplinka-Loehr, chair of the Government Operations Committee. Contact:
Michael Koplinka-Loehr, Chair, Government Operations Committee, 257-2329,
255-6668.
COUNTY FEELS US AIRWAYS’ BANKRUPTCY PAIN
County Attorney Jonathan Wood reported that financially ailing US Airways,
a tenant at the Ithaca-Tompkins Regional Airport, owes the County $165,000
that it cannot pay. The airline declared bankruptcy in August 2002. Wood
estimated that the County may receive as little as “10 cents on the dollar”
from the airline. Contact: Jonathan Wood, County Attorney. 274-5546.
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