CAP MEDICAID, SAYS COUNTY TO STATE
The legislature unanimously approved a resolution calling on the governor,
state assembly and senate to provide local property tax relief by capping
counties’ share of Medicaid payments at the 2001 level. A shift in Medicaid
funding from the state to the local level has played fiscal havoc with
county budgets all over New York State. A survey by the New York State
Association of Counties - sponsor of the Cap Medicaid Now movement - shows
that, in 56 counties that responded, Medicaid expenses are growing, many
increasing 15 - 25 percent, some as much as 40 percent. The result of this
almost universal burden is that counties are banding together in organizations
such as the Southern Tier Organization to Reform Medicaid (STORM) to demand
changes in the tax balance, funding of Medicaid, and other measures that
will stop the shift of taxation to property owners. In a related matter,
legislature chair Tim Joseph reported on a proposal he is developing to
ask the state to completely take over all Medicaid costs in return for
the County accepting complete responsibility for some other state-aided
programs. Contacts: Tim Joseph, Chair of the Legislature, 277-2519;
Peter Penniman, Chair, Budget & Capital Committee, 387-3928, 387-5897.
INCREASED RETIREMENT COSTS LIKELY TO ADD TO COUNTY BUDGET WOES
The County’s contribution to employee retirement plans could escalate
dramatically in 2003 and 2004, County Finance Director David Squires reported.
Last week, New York State Comptroller Alan Hevesi announced that the poor
performance of the stock market is shrinking the size of the state pension
fund for government employees, which includes County staff. In a letter
to the County, Hevesi warned of the impending need to increase local payments
into the pension fund. Tompkins County paid about $365,000 - or approximately
1.5 percent of its payroll - in 2002. The contribution could increase to
as much as 11 percent. The consequences for Tompkins County could be an
increase to over $2.6 million in its retirement fund contribution. Contact:
Finance Director David Squires, 274-5545.
BOND RE-SALE WILL SAVE COUNTY MONEY
County Finance Director David Squires reported that a measure to call
in and resell about $10 million in outstanding bonds will save the County
around $70,000 a year, or a total of $780,000, in debt service payments.
The savings are possible because the County is able to refinance the debt
at a lower interest rate. Contact: Finance Director David Squires, 274-5545.
CONTRACTORS CHOSEN FOR 911 CENTER
Construction on Tompkins County’s new 911 dispatch center on Brown
Road is scheduled to start March 1. The legislature awarded bids for the
center to:
Edger Construction, Inc., Elmira Heights, NY
$946,100 |
General Construction |
R.G. Burns Electric, Stanley, NY
$551,000 |
Electrical Systems |
Airtech HVAC Systems, Inc., Liverpool, NY
$414,500 |
Mechanical Systems |
Postler & Jaeckle, Horseheads, NY
$197,700 |
Plumbing |
The construction contracts for the building total $2,109,300. A total
of $3 million has been approved for the project, which will include a new
communications tower at the site. All but $300,000 of the project is being
provided by tobacco settlement funds, saving the County the cost of borrowing.
SPREAD EMPIRE ZONES TO ALL COUNTIES, URGES LEGISLATURE
By a vote of 12 to 1 (Thomas Todd voted no; Leslyn McBean and Daniel
Winch were absent), the legislature supported a resolution that asks the
state to change the way it approves Empire Zones, designated areas that
encourage business development through tax and other economic incentives.
There are 72 Empire Zones statewide, but none in Tompkins and ten other
counties that fail to meet the criteria. The eleven non-Empire Zone counties
are placed at a disadvantage, argued the resolution’s supporters. The measure
asks the state to expand the program to all counties. A recent application
for an Empire Zone in Tompkins was rejected because the county’s economic
and demographic profile did not meet all of the requirements. Contact:
Michael Lane, chair, Planning, Development, and Environmental Quality Committee,
844-8440.
COUNTY’S FIRST YOUTH AWARD GOES TO DRYDEN SERTEEN CLUB
The 67 teenagers in the Dryden Serteen Club are the first recipients
of the Tompkins County Distinguished Youth Award. The club, an offshoot
of the local Sertoma Club, is open to all teens in the Dryden school district
and performs community service in Dryden and Tompkins County. Examples
of recent club projects include cleaning walls and shelves at the Dryden
Kitchen Cupboard, bell ringing for the Salvation Army, collection of clothing
and personal items for the Red Cross to distribute to the homeless, and
helping out at other not-for-profit groups’ events. The Serteen Club was
nominated for the award by Michael Lane, legislator from Dryden and an
advisor to the group. The club was given small gifts donated by area businesses,
including tickets for each member to a Cornell University basketball game.
The monthly youth award was suggested by Caroline legislator Frank Proto
as a way to recognize individual young people or youth groups who have
made significant contributions to the community. Any Tompkins County resident,
group, or organization may submit a youth award nomination to any member
of the County legislature or to the Office of the Tompkins County Legislature,
320 N. Tioga Street, Ithaca, NY 14850. Contacts: Michael Lane, 844-8440;
Frank Proto, 277-4875.
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