The proposed county budget for 2012 will cut local, non-mandated spending by $1.1 million, but because of increases in state mandated spending, the legislature will be asked to approve higher property taxes.
The rate would go from $9.82 per $1,000 of assessed value to $9.95.
This would boost the county's tax levy by $884,000, a figure believed to be below the recently approved tax cap.
The total spending plan of $142,098,429 would eliminate 21.5 county jobs, including many through layoffs.
The budget also includes a new fee on local auto registration to help pay for road and bridge repair.
Even though county departments are cutting spending by as much as 5 percent, state mandated costs are out pacing local cuts.
County costs are being driven up by state mandated expenses, particularly in social services and physically handicapped preschool children's/early intervention budget categories.
The Medicaid weekly share payments are expected to go up by $280,000 and the county's contribution to the New York retirement system will go up $703,000.
In his budget message, County Manager Jay Gsell hits Albany and Gov. Andrew Cuomo hard on the issue of mandate relief, saying that the state Legislature has reneged multiple times on promises of mandate relief and assuming the cost of the state's $53 billion Medicaid program (the county's share is $9.8 million).
A state takeover of the Medicaid burden, Gsell said, would allow the county to lower its tax rate by $3.75 per $1,000 of assessed value.
Gsell said Cuomo has called the state takeover of expenses of this state-mandated program a "subsidy" to local governments.
"His convenient re-creation of the facts of how and why New York State counties are involved in Medicaid benefit funding is one of the most egregious, disingenuous political maneuvers I have witnessed in 18+ years as the Genesee County budget officer," Gsell wrote in his budget message (pdf).
To help balance the budget, the county will tap into its $9.76 million undesignated fund reserve for $2.6 million. Of that, $1.37 million will help pay for the nursing home.
This action will make it harder for the county to manage its cash flow to meet monthly payout obligations, especially at a time when the state is often slow to pay what it owes to county governments.
"In the private sector, this fiscal position could be akin to bankruptcy, and it could require temporary borrowing by the county just to meet our usual and customary obligations within our 12-month fiscal year," Gsell wrote.
The budget includes a $5 to $10 vehicle biannual registration fee to help fund bridge and road repairs. The fee is expected to generate $234,000 in 2012 and up to $312,000 in subsequent years. Agricultural vehicles would be exempt from the fee.
There is no salary or merit raise increase for non-union/management positions in the budget.
Seems to me that every person
Seems to me that every person involved in county governments around NYS and around the country should be serious proponents of a single payer federal heath care system.
how about cuting from the top
how about cuting from the top down for a change AND STOP RAISING TAXES.what the hells wrong with you people,what are you thinking?
I don't know much about this
I don't know much about this situation. We all don't make what we'd like. Maybe small pay cuts by all, or a little more pay into current healthcare plans, would have saved jobs for others. Best of luck to those losing jobs.
Do people on medicaid pay
Do people on medicaid pay anything for it? I think medicaid needs to go through some serious reform like going to er for a cold because medicaid will pay for it. I make choices based on whether it is worth me going and paying for it doctor care or is it something that I can do over the counter. From what I can see medicaid could be slashed in half by frivolous care (going to the er for a cold because they will give them motrin for free because medicaid covers it, instead of buying it at walmart and the $ store). A few months ago I was in the ER with my husband and saw a kid who was on medicaid abusing the system. He had gotten in a supposed car accident. Came in about 6 hours AFTER the accident. Was the rudest kid you ever met. I was litterally ready to smack the kid. The way he talked to his grandmother would have made mine turn over in her grave. He kept crying and throwing a fit that he was in an accident and all they would give him was tylenol. He was smacking himself while doctors were out of the room. Total drug seeker. Must have been about 16. He was medicaid. I overheard his grandmother discussing that they didn't have to pay for his care. Which infuriated me who DOES have to pay for it. If they had to pay something for it, it would be used more frugally and carefully. MEDICAID NEEDS TO BE OVERHAULED!!!
Tough dilemma: smack the rude
Tough dilemma: smack the rude kid or serve him up, representative of all Medicaid patients? My advice... Don't look for happy people in the ER.
If a 16-year-old hasn't been
If a 16-year-old hasn't been taught manners, or refuses to act in a mannerly fashion in public, it's too late to teach him. The exception would be if he becomes incarcerated or joins the military. Then he'll learn -- the hard way -- which is the only way some people get schooled.
"A state takeover of the
"A state takeover of the Medicaid burden, Gsell said, would allow the county to lower its tax rate by $3.75 per $1,000 of assessed value."
Then why is the "NYS Medicaid Mandate" listed on the OARS for the City of Batavia at 4.097929/1000?
If NYS Medicaid cost were set
If NYS Medicaid cost were set at the national average, the need for the counties to share the cost would go away entirely.
UMMC did see through the act.
UMMC did see through the act. Quickly xrayed him, tried to give him tylenol and told him they were discharging him. I let the nurse know that the kid was intentionally injuring himself next to us to make himself look hurt. He was hitting himself over and over. Once the kid realized he wasn't getting whatever he was looking for, he threw a big temper tantrum, refused the tylenol and left without even getting his discharge paperwork. His grandmother took it for him. This is just one example. I have read examples where people call ambulances because they need a ride. Go to the ER for a pregnancy test (hello dollar store they work well too). For me, going to the ER costs $100. So I think do I really need an ER or can I wait until my dr's office is open in the morning and pay a $20 copay (almost every time it is wait until the dr opens in the morning)...Medicaid seriously needs to be reformed. It is full of fraud and frivilous expenses. NY also has one of the most generous plans in the nation. So maybe instead of raising taxes and cutting jobs, maybe we need to reform the system instead. Maybe we need to make cuts into the "benefits" or overhaul it so that it is less likely to be abused. - Not to be confused with people that truly need it. If you need to go to the ER because of an emergency that is one thing. If you have cancer and are on medicaid that is another. Or if have lost your job and can't afford medical care for your kids. My point is use it wisely and don't abuse it. Use what resources we have wisely.
I don't think people want to
I don't think people want to deny medical coverage to anyone who can't afford their own. Medicaid is a very noble program that was intended to provide a safety net.
The problem is New York now has almost 5,000,000 of its 19,000,000 residents covered by a program that has grown into medical coverage that exceeds most private plans. The cost to operate this program dwarfs any other state plan and as a result puts an enormous burden onto the property tax payers of New York State (primarily Upstate residents).
The entire country should be
The entire country should be entilted to health care -- i find if you mind your own business it helps -- perhaps that kid had special needs you were not pri viledged to know -- if you are the best parent or grandparent on the country how many kids have you adopted - or volunteered at a local site for kids -- funny how everyone has an answer for everyone else -- i don't condone bad behavior either just saying -- sometimes you should mind your own
@ Tammy - It was hard to
@ Tammy - It was hard to ignore when he disturbed the whole ER with his antics, carried it out into the waiting room, and then out into the parking lot. However since you brought up special needs kids, I DO have a special needs kid. So I DO understand that. I don't make judgements on that seeing I have a child that does have special needs. I also have a child that is a honor roll and model student too. This was not a special needs child, but a spoiled brat abusing the system. At first I was wondering what the heck that noise was. Second, was he in some kind of trouble. Then I realized what he was doing over a space of time. Then I got it. Second, if you had READ my post, you would have gotten that my MAIN point was that the system needs REFORM from abuse and to cut frivolous expenses. We need to use our resources wisely. To ask TAXPAYERS to pay ANOTHER tax increase to pay for a state MANDATE when we already pay the highest property taxes in the nation. We'll I have a problem with that. I'm not saying no to healthcare. I am saying we need to reform the program majorly and bring it in line with other states. NY state has one of the most generous plans out there. I did find it wrong and still do when I could not afford dental insurance years ago and medicaid paid for all of that. It was better than private insurance. The same choices that people that pay for it should be made with people that don't. You also don't know what type of volunteer work or anything about me. So don't make assumptions about who and what I volunteer for. I happen to volunteer work and time with our VETERANS, women who have had preeclampsia and babies that are born as a result of pregnancies with it, women who have experienced a stillbirth or a miscarriage, and many other areas. I also DO work with kids as I do have children and work with their various activities.