COUNTY LOOKS AT ZERO GROWTH AND HIGHER STAFFING COSTS IN 2004
The Legislature approved budget guidelines for 2004 that set the target
budgets for all locally funded departments and agencies at the 2003 base
levels. This zero growth measure is only part of the picture, however,
because departments will also be asked to absorb about $1 million in negotiated
payroll increases and over $4 million in increased costs of fringe benefits.
Absorbing these costs is the equivalent of a 16 percent spending cut. The
fringe benefit rate for the County will be raised from the current 27 percent
of payroll to 39 percent in 2004. The largest expenses in the fringe rate
are the local share of the New York State retirement system, and health
insurance and pharmacy costs for employees. New York State, which until
recently charged nothing to counties for participation in the state retirement
system, has raised the local contribution rate from 1.2 percent of total
payroll in 2002, to 4 percent this year, to 11 percent in 2004. The retirement
costs for Tompkins County, which supports a $30 million payroll, will go
up from about $1.4 million in 2003 to as much as $3.5 million in 2004.
Employee health insurance will cost the County an additional $600,000 in
2004. The County is also looking at a shortfall in the cost of fringe benefits
in the current year, most of which can be covered with reserve funds. Contacts:
Peter Penniman, Chair, Budget & Capital Committee, 387-3928, 387-5897;
Tim Joseph, Chair, Tompkins County Legislature, 277-2519; Steve Whicher,
County Administrator, 274-5551.
INCREASE IN FEDERAL MEDICAID SHARE BENEFITS TOMPKINS COUNTY
Tompkins County's share of federal Medicaid relief to localities has
been calculated at around $621,000 for the time period from April, 2003
through June 2004. The federal Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation
Act of 2003, signed by President Bush on May 28, includes a provision for
a temporary increase in the federal share of states' Medicaid expenses.
In New York State, counties also pay a share of Medicaid costs and therefore
will receive a portion of the funds. Tompkins County's share will cover
only about one-third of its anticipated Medicaid deficit, said County Administrator
Stephen Whicher. In a special presentation to the Legislature, Social Services
Commissioner Mary Pat Dolan reported that Medicaid caseloads in Tompkins
County are at an all time high. About 8,500 residents, nearly half of them
children, receive Medicaid assistance. Contact: Steve Whicher, County Administrator,
274-5551; Peter Penniman, Chair, Budget & Capital Committee, 387-3928,
387-5897.
CAPITAL PROGRAM AMENDED TO BOOST EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS PROJECT
The Legislature agreed to shift up to $2 million in bonding from its
2004 capital program to the current year to fund improvements to the County's
emergency communications system. Funds will be borrowed this year for communications
equipment and a new radio tower at the 911 dispatch Emergency Response
Center under construction on Brown Road in Lansing, and for the upgrade
of another transmission site. The bonding will pay for about $550,000 of
dispatch equipment at the 911 center and for links into the existing emergency
communications network. Contact: Barbara Blanchard, Chair, Communications
Capital Projects (ComCap) Committee, 277-1374.
ROLLOVER FUNDS EASE CURRENT YEAR BUDGET
In accordance with a County budget policy that allows departments to
use unspent funds from previous years' budgets, the Legislature approved
$1,008,137 in "rollover" funds to ease various department and program budgets
in 2003. Uses for the funds range from computer and vehicle replacements
to wages and anticipated contract salary increases. Contact: Peter Penniman,
Chair, Budget & Capital Committee, 387-3928, 387-5897.
RESOLUTION HONORS FALLEN SOLDIER
The Legislature passed a resolution honoring the memory of Staff Sergeant
Patrick Lee Griffin, Jr. of Dryden. Griffin was killed in a military action
in Iraq on May 13. The resolution, which expresses the County's condolences
to the survivors and gratitude for Griffin's service to his country, was
introduced by Dryden Legislator Michael Lane.
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