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Despite several legislators harboring animosity with last year’s budget process, the county Legislature voted Wednesday to adopt the budget submitted by Herkimer County Community College.
By a 14-3 margin, the county approved the $23,306,955 operating budget for the college.
The county contribution remains unchanged from last year at $1,630,612. But the figure does include the additional $50,000 added to the contribution amount last year.
Legislators who opposed the budget all pointed to how the college used the $50,000 as the cause for their vote.
The college board last year broke an agreement to not give raises to non-bargaining unit employees, said Patrick Russell, R-OId Forge.
College officials have said the $50,000 did not go to raises and, rather, funded efforts to expand programs for students.
Legislators’ anger was in reference to a 3.5 percent pay raise last year for 46 employees, and President Ann Marie Murray also received a 10 percent raise in the budget last year.
Russell called his no vote “symbolic” opposition to how the college has refused once again to submit how much it plans to raise salaries.
A budget that lacks salary schedules, regardless of its sound financial footing, is incomplete, said Dennis Korce, R-Mohawk.
College officials did not respond to a written request from Korce to disclose salary schedules for non-bargaining employees who are not scheduled to receive raises through contract.
The budget includes a 3.3 percent increase in spending from last year.
A revenue increase of $382,572 is also included in the budget, due in part to a $1.3 million increase in student tuition and fees.
The tuition increased $100 for full-time students and per credit hour costs increased $9 for part-time students.
Overall revenues, however, are $453,180 short of what is needed to balance budget, according to college officials. The funds to close the gap will come from the college’s $2,095,662 in unreserved fund balance. An estimated $510,623 in chargebacks from the 2009 fiscal year will help the college recover the money that is being used to balance the budget and will result in $2,153,105 in estimated unreserved fund balance at the end of the college fiscal year, which is Aug. 31, 2011.
Legislator John Brezinski, D-Frankfort, cast the final no vote on the budget. In addition to voicing concerns with last year’s budget, he also called for the college to become more creative in its attempts to balance its budget. The discrepancy between comparable positions at the county offices and college also contributed to the opposition, Brezinski said.
College officials have said the operation is thriving, with full-time enrollment increasing from 2,831 to 3.080 in the upcoming school year.
In other action:
The county Public Safety/Emergency Management Committee voted to give the village of Herkimer 30 days to submit a counterproposal related to a prior offer from the Legislature to hook into the municipal sewer system.
Village board members voted unanimously to reject an offer of $800,000 from the county to assist in upgrades to the village wastewater treatment plant.
The village will have 30 days from Aug. 11 to provide a counter offer.
Legislator Helen Rose, D-Herkimer, made a statement related to her harassment complaint against fellow Legislator Vincent Bono, R-Schuyler.
After learning of the decision by the county Ways and Means Committee to not act on the sexual harassment complaint, Rose said she contemplated pursuing legal action.
But in her statement she provided an alternative solution to the situation.
“I have absolutely no desire to spend the county’s money to pursue an appeal that would most certainly overturn the decision that was rendered by my complaint. But I do have a desire for justice. A desire that the law be obeyed. I have a desire that people who work and live and travel through our county not become victims of elected officials who, by this decision alone, appear to have placed themselves above the law,” she said.
Rose then went on to request an apology from Bono. “So I’d be happy, happy, to drop the whole thing and move on if you, Mr. Bono, would simply apologize publicly,” she said.
The complaint involved Bono being accused of making sexually explicit comments and a gesture towards Rose following a Legislature meeting.
Bono declined to comment on the issue following Wednesday’s meeting.
Having not received an apology, Rose said she can be “patient.” But she will not wait too long before pursuing her options for a state Division of Human Rights or Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission review of the incident.
“Contrary to the comments attributed to some among you, I was intimidated and demeaned and humiliated. It should not have happened,” Rose said.
Her comments also focuses on the make-up of the committee, having several legislators involved in the incident, that ruled on the complaint.
“Don’t you folks ever wonder what your grandmother would have said about this? Or what your decision would have been if God forbid, they, or your wives, or daughter had been victimized,” Rose said Wednesday.
Despite several legislators harboring animosity with last year’s budget process, the county Legislature voted Wednesday to adopt the budget submitted by Herkimer County Community College.
By a 14-3 margin, the county approved the $23,306,955 operating budget for the college.
The county contribution remains unchanged from last year at $1,630,612. But the figure does include the additional $50,000 added to the contribution amount last year.
Legislators who opposed the budget all pointed to how the college used the $50,000 as the cause for their vote.
The college board last year broke an agreement to not give raises to non-bargaining unit employees, said Patrick Russell, R-OId Forge.
College officials have said the $50,000 did not go to raises and, rather, funded efforts to expand programs for students.
Legislators’ anger was in reference to a 3.5 percent pay raise last year for 46 employees, and President Ann Marie Murray also received a 10 percent raise in the budget last year.
Russell called his no vote “symbolic” opposition to how the college has refused once again to submit how much it plans to raise salaries.
A budget that lacks salary schedules, regardless of its sound financial footing, is incomplete, said Dennis Korce, R-Mohawk.
College officials did not respond to a written request from Korce to disclose salary schedules for non-bargaining employees who are not scheduled to receive raises through contract.
The budget includes a 3.3 percent increase in spending from last year.
A revenue increase of $382,572 is also included in the budget, due in part to a $1.3 million increase in student tuition and fees.
The tuition increased $100 for full-time students and per credit hour costs increased $9 for part-time students.
Overall revenues, however, are $453,180 short of what is needed to balance budget, according to college officials. The funds to close the gap will come from the college’s $2,095,662 in unreserved fund balance. An estimated $510,623 in chargebacks from the 2009 fiscal year will help the college recover the money that is being used to balance the budget and will result in $2,153,105 in estimated unreserved fund balance at the end of the college fiscal year, which is Aug. 31, 2011.
Legislator John Brezinski, D-Frankfort, cast the final no vote on the budget. In addition to voicing concerns with last year’s budget, he also called for the college to become more creative in its attempts to balance its budget. The discrepancy between comparable positions at the county offices and college also contributed to the opposition, Brezinski said.
College officials have said the operation is thriving, with full-time enrollment increasing from 2,831 to 3.080 in the upcoming school year.
In other action:
The county Public Safety/Emergency Management Committee voted to give the village of Herkimer 30 days to submit a counterproposal related to a prior offer from the Legislature to hook into the municipal sewer system.
Village board members voted unanimously to reject an offer of $800,000 from the county to assist in upgrades to the village wastewater treatment plant.
The village will have 30 days from Aug. 11 to provide a counter offer.
Legislator Helen Rose, D-Herkimer, made a statement related to her harassment complaint against fellow Legislator Vincent Bono, R-Schuyler.
After learning of the decision by the county Ways and Means Committee to not act on the sexual harassment complaint, Rose said she contemplated pursuing legal action.
But in her statement she provided an alternative solution to the situation.
“I have absolutely no desire to spend the county’s money to pursue an appeal that would most certainly overturn the decision that was rendered by my complaint. But I do have a desire for justice. A desire that the law be obeyed. I have a desire that people who work and live and travel through our county not become victims of elected officials who, by this decision alone, appear to have placed themselves above the law,” she said.
Rose then went on to request an apology from Bono. “So I’d be happy, happy, to drop the whole thing and move on if you, Mr. Bono, would simply apologize publicly,” she said.
The complaint involved Bono being accused of making sexually explicit comments and a gesture towards Rose following a Legislature meeting.
Bono declined to comment on the issue following Wednesday’s meeting.
Having not received an apology, Rose said she can be “patient.” But she will not wait too long before pursuing her options for a state Division of Human Rights or Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission review of the incident.
“Contrary to the comments attributed to some among you, I was intimidated and demeaned and humiliated. It should not have happened,” Rose said.
Her comments also focuses on the make-up of the committee, having several legislators involved in the incident, that ruled on the complaint.
“Don’t you folks ever wonder what your grandmother would have said about this? Or what your decision would have been if God forbid, they, or your wives, or daughter had been victimized,” Rose said Wednesday.
