Quoted from benny salami

Another new low-this is no cut. And what will happen in 2011 when the phony Obama stimulus ends? These KRATS better wake up and cut spending. Have they budgeted for the new County Nursing Home? Of course not.
Then they keep the charade of a Downtown library addition that we cannot afford and don't need.

  Because of the NYS pension fund collapse no one will see any reduction. The City and towns will be looking at millions in additional payments. The current County Manager refuses to cut anything. More programs. more lobs, more needless pr dupes. More everything-except private sector jobd! In Albany County they have closed County offices for 2 weeks WITH NO PAY. Meanwhile here nobody does nuthin. Robert Farley is right but what are his spending cuts? Where is ANG on this? The silence is deafening.

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SCHENECTADY COUNTY
Federal, surplus cash to keep taxes down
Officials aim to maintain services with $65M levy
BY MICHAEL LAMENDOLA Gazette Reporter

    Schenectady County will use federal stimulus and surplus funds to reduce the proposed property tax levy by 2.1 percent in 2010 while maintaining existing programs and services in its tentative $288 million budget, county officials said.
    Property owners will have to wait until December, however, to learn how much their county tax bills will be. That is when the state sets equalization rates and the county’s tax levy is proportioned out to its municipalities.
    The proposed tax levy for 2010 is $65 million, a 2.1 percent decrease from the current levy of $66 million. The levy was $61 million in 2008, $58 million in 2007, $58 million in 2006 and $59 million in 2005.
    County Manager Kathleen Rooney said the 2010 budget is “structured as a transition year budget,” using one-time only stimulus money to “bridge us to recovery.” County Legislator Philip Fields, D-Schenectady, chairman of the Legislature’s Ways and Means Committee, calls the budget “status quo.”
    Minority Leader Robert Farley, R-Glenville, said the proposed budget is built on one-shot revenue gimmicks and contains no real spending cuts.
    The tentative budget for next year is approximately $9 million more than the current budget.
    It includes no layoffs but contains an early retirement plan targeted at full-time employees with 25 years or more of service. The county expects to save $300,000 in 2010 through this plan.
    The Legislature is scheduled to hold a public hearing on the tentative budget Sept. 21 and vote on it Sept. 23. It will hold budget hearings tonight and Thursday night, Saturday morning and Sept. 16.
    The county is using $7.3 million in federal stimulus money it is receiving this year and next and is taking $2.1 million out of its $35 million surplus funds account to reduce the tax levy.
    The federal money is to offset Medicaid expenses. The federal government targeted Medicaid for stimulus money because it has become a large cost for local governments. Approximately $155 million of Schenectady County’s budget, for example, goes toward social services and other mandated programs. The county’s share of Medicaid is $32 million, which accounts for nearly half the tax levy. This cost has increased steadily since 2001, when it was $18 million.
    The county will use the Medicaid stimulus money over subsequent years to deal with diffi cult budget cycles, said Fields: “We have to prepare ourselves for the next impact. Therefore, you have to set aside contingencies for such impacts.” ..................>>>>.................>>>>..............http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....1&Continuation=1

Quoted from B GAGE

No Benny you are wrong  about albany county .....certain departments are closing  one friday a month until the end of the year.

Quoted from Shadow

Sounds just like the old Popeye Cartoons when Wimpy would say "I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today". What happens next year when the Dems fail to make any meaningful cut backs in spending, will the taxes increase 10% again or higher when the stimulus money is gone?

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Hearing set on $288M county budget plan
    SCHENECTADY — A public hearing on Schenectady County’s tentative $288 million budget for 2010 is scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday at the Schenectady County Office Building, sixth floor.
    County Manager Kathleen Rooney has proposed a budget that contains a 2.1 percent reduction in the property tax levy while maintaining existing programs and services.
    Property owners will have to wait until December to learn how much their county tax bills will be. That is when the state sets equalization rates and the county’s tax levy is proportioned out to its municipalities.
    The proposed tax levy for 2010 is $65 million, a 2.1 percent decrease from the current levy of $66 million. The levy was $61 million in 2008, $58 million in 2007, $58 million in 2006 and $59 million in 2005.
    Rooney said the 2010 budget uses onetime-only federal stimulus money and $2.1 million out of its $35 million surplus funds to reduce the tax levy.
    The proposed budget includes no layoffs but contains an early retirement plan targeted at full-time employees with 25 years or more of service. The county expects to save $300,000 in 2010 through this plan and $1 million over three years.
    The Legislature is scheduled to vote on the budget Sept. 23. It would take effect Jan. 1.

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SCHENECTADY COUNTY
Budget plan to include $86 tax increase
Levy for 2009 has 8.9 percent increase
BY MICHAEL LAMENDOLA Gazette Reporter

    County residents will pay an average of $86 more in property taxes next year under a $279 million budget the Schenectady County Legislature was ready to adopt Thursday night.
    The vote was anticipated late Thursday to fall mostly along party lines, 10-5. Party leaders said the Republicans would vote against it and all but Democrat Martin Finn would vote in favor. Finn, D-Niskayuna, is running for the seat in District 3, representing Niskayuna and Glenville.
    He said more needs to be done to reduce property taxes. His Republican opponent is Tim Macfarlane.
    The tax increase is based on the average of rates for all municipalities in the county. Residents will see their actual tax bills after rates are set by individual towns, villages and the city in January.
    The 2009 budget carries a tax levy increase of 8.9 percent. It had been 12.9 percent, but majority Democrats reduced it by using the fund balance, making cuts and budgeting savings in employee health care costs.
    Democrats are applying $1.7 million of the fund balance, or surplus, for property tax reduction, $1.4 million more than recommended by County Manager Kathleen Rooney in her tentative $279.9 million budget.
    Democrats also eliminated an $85,000 grant to the Chamber of Schenectady County and expect to pay $835,000 less in medical costs for employees. This is in addition to the $2.6 million in health care savings already achieved in the 2009 budget.
    The 2009 budget cuts $2.12 million in contract services with outside vendors.
    In addition, Democrats eliminated one position from the budget, bringing to 51 the total positions eliminated in 2009 for a savings of $2.7 million. Since 2004, the county has cut a total of 250 positions from its work force, or 11 percent of the total, for a savings of $10 million.
    The 2009 budget decreased 0.34 percent from the 2008 budget with the final changes. Since 2000, county budgets have increased on average 2.94 percent annually, or less than the cost of living, according to information provided by county officials. Their figures also show that the county budget grew from $201 million in appropriations in 2000 to $250 million in appropriations in 2009. The totals do not include sales tax revenues distributed to municipalities, which will total around $29 million in 2009.
    Three of four Republicans — with Joseph Suhrada of Rotterdam the exception — supported the Democratic majority’s amendments, which reduced the projected tax levy 4 percent.
    Democrats were expected to reject the Republican package of 39 amendments, confirming Minority Leader Robert Farley’s prediction. Farley later expected to offer other amendments to eliminate positions in the clerk of the legislature offi ce and the positions of special assistant to the commissioner of social services and director of communications.
    Majority Leader Gary Hughes said Democrats carefully reviewed the Republican amendments.
    “These are not proven and it is not prudent to adopt them,” he said.
    As part of the budget, top managers in the county will receive raises of 3 percent, totaling $250,000. The raises mirror those given to unionized workers through newly signed contracts.

Quoted from benny salami

   Then's that's more than 14 days-even better. Meanwhile here-NOTHING. When is Schenectady DSS closing for a day? lol. More BS about success in economic development which has been a complete failure. The $100 Million taken from taxpayers should have been used to stabilize property taxes. Maybe 2% decrease after Judy Dag and Sue Savage slammed taxpayers 10% this year? Release the lead balloons.

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SCHENECTADY COUNTY
County budget plan draws fire
BY MICHAEL LAMENDOLA Gazette Reporter

    Three Republican candidates for the Schenectady County Legislature criticized majority Democrats for proposing an election-year budget that they say relies on oneshot stimulus money.
    The comments came during a public hearing on the budget Monday night.
    The Republicans — Kurt Semon, Tim Macfarlane and Michael Mansion — were the only members of the public to criticize the proposed $288 million budget for 2010.
    The county Legislature is scheduled to vote on the budget Wednesday night. County Manager Kathleen Rooney is using federal stimulus money and surplus funds to lower the property tax levy by 2.13 percent.
    Semon, who is running for one of three seats in District 3, said the county is being short-sighted in using one-shot stimulus money to balance the budget, which grew by $9 million from the current year’s budget.
    He suggested taxpayers will see double-digit property tax increases when the stimulus funds run out.
    The county received $7.3 million from the federal government to offset Medicaid costs for the next nine quarters.
    Semon said majority Democrats should work with the Republican minority to trim the county budget and offset any future tax increases. ...............>>>>.................>>>>..................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r00902&AppName=1

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SCHENECTADY COUNTY
Republicans offer savings ideas
BY MICHAEL LAMENDOLA Gazette Reporter
Reach Gazette reporter Michael Lamendola at 395-3114 or lamend@dailygazette.com.

    Minority Republicans on the Schenectady County Legislature are offering more than a dozen amendments aimed at reducing the property tax levy by 6.8 percent in the 2010 tentative budget.
    Democrats are proposing one amendment of $5,000 toward expansion of the Veterans Park monument in the city.
    Legislators will discuss the amendments and vote on the $288 million budget tonight . The 2010 budget, which would take effect Jan. 1, increases spending by $9 million but also provides for a 2.13 percent reduction in the property tax levy.
    The county is using $7.3 million in federal stimulus money it is receiving this year and next and is taking $2.1 million out of its $35 million surplus funds account to reduce the tax levy. Taxpayers will learn in December how much they will pay in taxes.
    The Republican amendments would reduce the proposed property tax levy by $4.5 million, to about $60 million. “The tax levy has steadily gone up at a remarkable pace. To get it down, we need to cut spending,” said Minority Leader Robert Farley, R-Glenville. ..............>>>>..............>>>>.................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r01501&AppName=1

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Schenectady County budget lowers tax levy
Thursday, September 24, 2009
By Michael Lamendola (Contact)
Gazette Reporter

SCHENECTADY COUNTY — Schenectady County has adopted a budget that trims the property tax levy by 2.13 percent.
The county Legislature approved the $288 million budget Wednesday night unanimously, 14-0. Legislator Vincent DiCerbo, D-Schenectady, was absent. Legislators also unanimously approved the capital projects plan that includes $300,000 to build a sheriff’s substation in Duanesburg.
The proposed tax levy for 2010 is $65 million, a 2.1 percent decrease from the current levy of $66 million. The levy was $61 million in 2008, $58 million in 2007, $58 million in 2006 and $59 million in 2005.
Property owners will have to wait until December to learn how much their county tax bills will be, however. That’s when the state sets equalization rates and the county’s tax levy is proportioned out to its municipalities. The county’s budget takes effect Jan. 1.
“This budget strives to preserve core services while responding to taxpayers’ demands that property taxes be reduced and government cut spending like taxpayers have had to do,” said County Manager Kathleen Rooney.
The county is using $4.8 million in federal stimulus money it is receiving this year and is taking $2.1 million out of its $35 million surplus funds account to reduce the tax levy.
The budget includes $9 million in new spending and adds several new positions, including that of an engineer to handle management of mandated storm water requirements. It leaves unchanged county programs and services.....................>>>>................................>>>>.....................http://www.dailygazette.com/news/2009/sep/24/0924_countybud/