May30, 2009

Opportunity

The Daily Star, Oneonta, N.Y.

By Tom Grace

Cooperstown Bureau

OOPERSTOWN _ As salestax collectons slump dur-ing the 2009 recession, OtsegoCounty government is work-ing to restrain expenses in theshort term, and create more e-ficient ways to deliver servicesin the future.ith a lively tourism indus-try and a busy shopping districton Oneonta’s Southsde, OtsegoCounty has for years counted ongrowing sales tax revenue. Anduntil the last half of 2008, collec-tons had ncreased enough toallow the county budget to ex-pand nearly every year, even asthe property tax levy remainednearly flat.Not anymore.lthough the county does notreceive final accounting figuresfrom the state until months af-ter taxes are collected, pre-lmnary numbers ndcate thatpeople are buying less, generat-ing less tax.he 2009 county budget callsor collectng $33 mllon nsales tax, but James Johnson,R-Otsego, chairman of the coun-ty’s Administration Committee,sad the county may come upabout 5 percent short o thatthis year.``There have been some en-couraging signs, particularlyn the toursm ndustry, but Ithink we have to plan for theworst, while we hope for thebest,’’ Johnson said.Toward that end, the boardhas tghtened ts purchasngpolicy, requiring all equipmentpurchases to be approved byparent com-ttees andthe Adminis-tration Com-ittee, reduc-ing the costo purchasesthat needparent com-ittee OKsrom $10,000to $5,000, andrequiring allpurchases of $10,000 or more tobe reviewed by the Administra-ton Commttee.``We just want to be surethat everything we’re buying iseeded,’’ Johnson said.The Admnstraton Commt-tee and other board membersalso have been discussing apolicy of reducing the countyworkforce through attrition, hesad.``There wouldn’t be layoffs,but when someone leaves, wewouldn’t hire someone new,’’he sad. Johnson sad the county hasmore than 800 employees, hun-dreds more than just a few yearsago, and this initiative mightgradually control the county’slabor cost.Betty Anne Schwerd, R-Burl-ington, a member of the Admin-straton Commttee, noted thatOtsego County provdes manyservices that are not mandatedby the state. Whole departmentsneed not exist under state law,although there may be goodreasons to keep them, she said.``What I’m saying is we needto look at everything,’’ Schwerdsaid.As an example, she citedthe Publc Deender’s Oce,which has a budget of morethan $900,000 a year.While the county is obligatedto ensure that poor deendantsare represented by lawyers,it does not need to operate adepartment to do accomplishthis.``All you really need s a lstof attorneys and someone toake sure that every defendantgets an attorney,’’ she said.In many cases, when there sa conlct o nterest, ndgentdefendants are representedby assigned counsel rather thePublic Defender’s Office, shesad. By elmnatng the oce,all needy defendants would re-ceive assigned lawyers and thecounty might save considerableoney.The Mental Health Depart-ent, Chemical Dependencieslinic and Planning Depart-ent are among other countyoperatons that are not mandat-ed by the state, Schwerd sad.County Board Chairman James Powers, R-Butternuts,agreed that board memberseed to be creatve they areto pare expenses during a reces-sion _ a time when services maybe needed more than usual.However, every proposedreducton needs close scrutnyto ensure that it will pay divi-dends in the long term, he said.```Not man-dated’ s onething. `Notneeded’ issomethingelse,’’ Pow-ers sad. Forexample, al-though NewYork statedoes not re-qure coun-ties to haveplanning de-partments, they can be revenueproducers, whch also mprovethe quality of life, he said.``Our Planning Departmentbrought in more than $1 millionn grants last year, so I wouldn’tsay we’d be ahead o the gamewe didn’t have one,’’ he said.

Otsego County eyes cuts in weak economy

Star file photo by Julie Lewis

The Otsego County Courthouse, left, and Office Building, right, on Main Street in Cooperstown is seen in April 2008.

Expected drop in sales tax revenuehurts budget,county reps say

There have been some encouraging signs, particularly in the tourism industry, but I think we have to plan for the worst, while we hope for the best.’

— James Johnson, R-Otsego, Administration Committee chairman

`What I’m saying is we need to look at everything.’

— Betty Anne Schwerd, R-Burlngton, Admnstraton Commttee member

SchwerdPowers

About this section:

This supplement to The Daily Staras edited and designed by Daily Starifestyle and Special Sections EditorDenielle Ziemba.The cover was designed by DailyStar Assistant Arts Manager David M.Fredette.Stories were written by Daily Starstaff writers Mark Boshnack, Patriciareakey, Tom Grace, Jake Palmateerand Denise Richardson, supervised byManaging Editor Cary Brunswick.Most of the photographs were takenand processed by Daily Star staff pho-tographers Julie Lewis and Brit Wor-gan.Community Editor Emily Popekproofed the pages.

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May30, 2009

Opportunity

he Daily Star, Oneonta, N.Y.

By Tom Grace

Cooperstown Bureau

hese are not the bestof fiscal times in Dela-ware County, but timescould get worse, and thatconcerns James Esel,chairman of the DelawareCounty Board of Supervi-sors.``Sometmes I eel lkewe’re passing the buck,but there’s only so muchyou can do at the countylevel,’’ he sad.``For years, we’ve beentalking about state man-dates and they’re stllcomng,’’ he sad. Alongwith state mandates, oftenthere are commitments tostate undng.But state commitmentsare subject to revision, of-ten with little notice, headded.``Let me tell you aboutone I just found out about.When someone violatesther parole and has to goback to jail, we have beenpaid $37-a-day by the stateto keep them in jail.``Now, the state hasdecided it won’t pay thatanymore,’’ said Eisel. `Ìchecked with the sheriff and last year, that wouldhave cost us $66,000.’’So, this year, formeroffenders had better stayout o trou-ble, or thecounty’s fi-nances maytake a ht, hesaid.`Ìt soundslike a smallthng, butnothing’ssmall thisyear,’’ Eiselsad. ``We’redoing every-thing we canthink of tosave mon-ey.’’StephenAcquario,executve d-rector of theNew YorkAssociationo Countes,noted thatstate politi-cians havetalked about reducngproperty taxes, but con-tinue to raise them indi-rectly.“Despte recent talkof reducing the propertytax burden facing hom-eowners and businessesn New York state, stateleaders continue to pushcosts down to countyproperty taxpayers, whoare already acng scalpressures of their own,”he said in an e-mail to TheDaily Star. “State lead-ers need to do more thantalk about property taxes.They need to make dif-ficult spending decisionsthat are gong to reduceproperty taxes.’’he change in who paysto house parole violatorswas part o the 2009-10budget, he said.nother change in thebudget _ reform of theRockeeller drug laws_ also will cost countiesmore, according to Ac-quaro.State ocals had n-tended to cut down onstate costs of imprisoningnonvolent oenders, hewrote.However “most of theconvicted drug offend-ers wll now end up nlocal correctonal acl-ties, with the costs beingpicked up by county prop-erty taxpayers.’’Eisel said he some-times listens in amaze-ment at the way the statehandles ts nances.`Ìt was hard to believethat they would eventhink of raising spendingagan ths year,’’ he sad.But as soon as state lead-ers knew they could usefederal stimulus money toshore up the budget, ``theyrefused to make the harddecisions they shouldhave, and put everythingo or later.’’gainst a backdropof international reces-sion, record federal defi-cts and rresponsblestate spending, DelawareCounty officials are work-ing to conserve every dol-lar, Esel sad.``We’re not creatingnew postons, and we’renot filling jobs unless weabsolutely have to,’’ hesaid.The county also s strv-ing to help residents inways that don’t cost much,he noted.``We’ve adopted thePro-Act Drug Plan, sopeople wthout health n-surance can afford someof their prescriptions,’’he sad. `Ì’ve heard rompeople who are very grate-ful for that.’’The bottom line,though, s that counteshave only a few ways tocollect money, Eisel not-ed.Departments maycharge for services, butost of a county’s moneycomes rom property tax-es and sales tax, he said.And in mid-May, it ap-pears that sales tax reve-ue for Delaware Countywill be substantially low-er for the year.``We mght collect $2illion less than lastyear, and that’s not good,’’Esel sad.``We’ve got an unem-ployment problem, a rateover 10 percent. Fortu-nately, people can collectunemployment benefitsand there is a federal ex-tension, but I’m sure thatunemployment has cutdown on people’s shop-ping.’’And when people don’tshop, counties and othermunicipalities don’t col-lect sales tax. All thatportends a very difficult010 budget year, he said,unless the economy re-bounds in the next sixonths.

Delaware County watching every dollar

Star file photos by Julie Lewis

Above:

The SenatorCharles D. Cook CountyOffice Building on MainStreet in Delhi.

Right:

The Delaware CountyCourthouse at the edgeof Courthouse Square inDelhi.

Officials: Highunemployment, state mandateshurt finances

`It was hard to believe that (state leaders) would ven think of aising spend-ng againhis year...hey refused o make the hard decisions they should have, and put ev-rything off for later.’