Onondaga County lawmakers Tuesday approved what is probably one of the more difficult budgets they’ve seen in several years. Ways and Means Committee Chair David Knapp says he entered the budget process last month with low expectations.
"If you asked me back in September if we would be able to get to where we are now, I would have been very pessimistic," he admitted.
He says the $1.29 billion spending plan had challenges from both the cost and revenue sides….
"The good news is we've got contracts in place for almost of all of our bargaining units. The bad news is it has a big impact on this year's budget."
Legislature Chairman Ryan McMahon says it adds up.
"Between those two..our personnel costs and our health care costs, we're looking at $20 million in new expenses," McMahon said. "With sales tax growth dropping from the 3 to 4 percent range to the 1 to 2 percent range, the sales tax could no longer cover that. On top of that, there were unfunded mandates that increased in this budget, and you have yourself some tough decisions.”
Which, McMahon says, he felt lawmakers and County Executive Joanie Mahoney navigated quite well. So he says it’s worth mentioning how taxpayers will fare with their property tax levy.
“The tax rate is now at a historic low in Onondaga County," McMahon proclaimed. "We haven't talked enough about that. 5.07 per thousand. It has never been that low.”
McMahon says the budget also includes the budget also includes measures to begin consolidation of the county-run Metropolitan Water Board and the Onondaga County Water Authority, which is actually not a county entity.
"This is going to be a big time cost saver down the road because there's going to be personnel savings for OCWA. As infrastructure costs come on, big capital projects in the near future, OCWA will be able absorb many of those costs instead of passing them on to the water rate."
But the budget process isn’t quite complete. Hundreds of eligible county employees have until the end of next week to decide if they want to take early retirement…with a $10,000 incentive. Legislator Knapp says response has been slow to come.
"We have 10 days to see where we end up, and then we'll have come back in November to work out the balance, how we want to handle that if there's a little bit of a shortfall," Knapp said. "The good news is we have fund balance to use if necessary. We've got lots of options besides having to consider layoffs. That is a last option if needed."
County Executive Mahoney has said at least 150 county workers would have to take the offer to realize $8 million in savings built into the budget.
Legislators Casey Jordan and Kevin Holmquist voted no on the final spending plan.
