Many tough decisions were made to keep the county’s tax levy the same according to county officials.
Herkimer County Legislature Finance Committee Chairman Patrick Russell outlined parts of the county’s $91,808,638 2009 tentative budget on Friday, which increased .3 percent from this year’s.
Despite the small increase, the tax levy, which is the amount raised by taxes, will remain static at $23.48 million. The overall equalized tax rate for 2009 is $4.97, down from $5.32 this year, a decrease of seven percent.
“This will look like good news and the process was easy, but this was a very difficult process,” said Russell.
He said the committee worked hard to bring down the budget without sacrificing services.
“We realize the community wants us to reduce taxes, and that’s what we have done,” said Russell.
The budget includes a $339,000 increase in Medicaid, a $300,000 increase in preschool costs, a $100,000 increase in costs associated with boarding out inmates and a $150,000 increase in health insurance costs, or three percent.
The budget projects $225,000 less in interest, $180,000 less in mortgage revenues and offers no salary increases for legislators, department heads and officials in salary schedules two, four and five. There is a three percent increase for CSEA, union workers, that had already been negotiated.
No new vehicles will be purchased except for the highway department and outside agencies were kept flat.
County-wide, around 50 vacant positions were deleted, 26 being from public health and beds at county-owned Country Manor were capped at 40, down from 80, and the county expects to see a $250,000 benefit from this in 2010.
Retirement was budgeted at this year’s rate, which officials believe will save hundreds of thousands of dollars and the Youth Bureau and Office of the Aging received over $100,000 in cuts.
Officials hope for a two percent increase in sales tax in the budget, which also includes $1.54 million in the jail reserve fund from the quarter of a percent sales tax.
To come up with the budgeted fuel cost, officials compared rates from today to rates two months ago, which had $300,000 in saving from all county funds.
To help offset some of the costs, $400,000 from the highway fund balance, $183,000 from the general-fund fund balance and $107,000 from the STOP DWI reserve were used.
Administrator James Wallace said the county still has $8.6 million left in fund balances.
The following are the 2009 anticipated tax rates for townships in Herkimer County compared to 2008’s actual rates: Columbia, $5.32 from $5.81; Danube, $5.06 from $5.42; Fairfield, $5.67 from $5.87; Frankfort, $6.42 from $6.92; German Flatts, $6.90 from $7.15; Herkimer, $5.09 from $5.45; Litchfield, $5.30 from $5.79; Little Falls, $7.32 from $7.77; Manheim, $7.34 from $6.86; Newport, $5.03 from $7.44; Norway, $7.05 from $7.26; Ohio, $86.17 from $81.29; Russia, $7.87 from $8.21; Salisbury, $5.04 from $5.39; Schuyler, $5.50 from $5.73; Stark, $7.98 from $8.16; Warren, $7.38 to $7.66; Webb, $6.74 to $6.43; Winfield, $5.30 to $5.80.
The city of Little Falls’ 2009 anticipated tax rate is set at $23.71, down from $24.79.
Legislator Dennis Korce, who is on the finance committee, said the biggest increase in the budget, as it is every year, is from Medicaid.
“I’ve always called it, ‘The elephant in the room,’” said Korce.
Russell cautioned this budget is only tentative and could change depending on what the state does with its budget and if any mandates are handed down.
He also predicted difficult times again next year when coming up with the 2010 budget.
A public hearing on the budget will be held on Dec. 3 and the county legislature will hold a meeting regarding it on Dec. 17, after the projected state budget is released. The legislature has until Dec. 20 to adopt the budget.
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Many tough decisions were made to keep the county’s tax levy the same according to county officials.
Herkimer County Legislature Finance Committee Chairman Patrick Russell outlined parts of the county’s $91,808,638 2009 tentative budget on Friday, which increased .3 percent from this year’s.
Despite the small increase, the tax levy, which is the amount raised by taxes, will remain static at $23.48 million. The overall equalized tax rate for 2009 is $4.97, down from $5.32 this year, a decrease of seven percent.
“This will look like good news and the process was easy, but this was a very difficult process,” said Russell.
He said the committee worked hard to bring down the budget without sacrificing services.
“We realize the community wants us to reduce taxes, and that’s what we have done,” said Russell.
The budget includes a $339,000 increase in Medicaid, a $300,000 increase in preschool costs, a $100,000 increase in costs associated with boarding out inmates and a $150,000 increase in health insurance costs, or three percent.
The budget projects $225,000 less in interest, $180,000 less in mortgage revenues and offers no salary increases for legislators, department heads and officials in salary schedules two, four and five. There is a three percent increase for CSEA, union workers, that had already been negotiated.
No new vehicles will be purchased except for the highway department and outside agencies were kept flat.
County-wide, around 50 vacant positions were deleted, 26 being from public health and beds at county-owned Country Manor were capped at 40, down from 80, and the county expects to see a $250,000 benefit from this in 2010.
Retirement was budgeted at this year’s rate, which officials believe will save hundreds of thousands of dollars and the Youth Bureau and Office of the Aging received over $100,000 in cuts.
Officials hope for a two percent increase in sales tax in the budget, which also includes $1.54 million in the jail reserve fund from the quarter of a percent sales tax.
To come up with the budgeted fuel cost, officials compared rates from today to rates two months ago, which had $300,000 in saving from all county funds.
To help offset some of the costs, $400,000 from the highway fund balance, $183,000 from the general-fund fund balance and $107,000 from the STOP DWI reserve were used.
Administrator James Wallace said the county still has $8.6 million left in fund balances.
The following are the 2009 anticipated tax rates for townships in Herkimer County compared to 2008’s actual rates: Columbia, $5.32 from $5.81; Danube, $5.06 from $5.42; Fairfield, $5.67 from $5.87; Frankfort, $6.42 from $6.92; German Flatts, $6.90 from $7.15; Herkimer, $5.09 from $5.45; Litchfield, $5.30 from $5.79; Little Falls, $7.32 from $7.77; Manheim, $7.34 from $6.86; Newport, $5.03 from $7.44; Norway, $7.05 from $7.26; Ohio, $86.17 from $81.29; Russia, $7.87 from $8.21; Salisbury, $5.04 from $5.39; Schuyler, $5.50 from $5.73; Stark, $7.98 from $8.16; Warren, $7.38 to $7.66; Webb, $6.74 to $6.43; Winfield, $5.30 to $5.80.
The city of Little Falls’ 2009 anticipated tax rate is set at $23.71, down from $24.79.
Legislator Dennis Korce, who is on the finance committee, said the biggest increase in the budget, as it is every year, is from Medicaid.
“I’ve always called it, ‘The elephant in the room,’” said Korce.
Russell cautioned this budget is only tentative and could change depending on what the state does with its budget and if any mandates are handed down.
He also predicted difficult times again next year when coming up with the 2010 budget.
A public hearing on the budget will be held on Dec. 3 and the county legislature will hold a meeting regarding it on Dec. 17, after the projected state budget is released. The legislature has until Dec. 20 to adopt the budget.
