2007 Adopted Monroe County Budget
Third Consecutive Balanced Budget Rejects a Tax Hike; Maintains Quality-of-Life and Vital Services
Stating that “we have worked together to make County government leaner and more efficient”, Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks presented her third Monroe County Budget before an audience in the Monroe County Legislative Chambers. Totaling $877,667,012, the County Executive’s operating budget is balanced, rejects an increase in the property tax, and maintains funding for vital services.
Non-mandated spending amounts to $213,872,094 in the 2007 proposed budget, with mandated spending at $663,804,918.
For the third straight year, the County Executive rejected calls to raise the Property Tax above its current level of $9.10. By rejecting a property tax hike and providing vital services in a cost-effective manner, County Executive Brooks has again demonstrated her commitment to continuing the fine quality-of-life Monroe County residents enjoy.
“Higher property taxes mean fewer jobs, less economic investment, the loss of young people from our region, and a steady decline in quality of life”, County Executive Brooks stated. “I will continue to protect property owners with a stable tax rate going forward.”
County Executive Brooks was able to close a projected $45.7 million deficit in this year’s budget through strong cost control and one-time measures.
- The 2007 budget includes 40 recommendations proposed by the Budget Advisory Team…initiatives that reflect a $33.5 million dollar benefit to taxpayers.
- The budget also eliminates 30 County positions.
- The County’s workforce has been reduced by more than 11% since 2001, and the County maintains a hiring freeze for non-essential positions.
- Discretionary spending is down $1.6 million dollars from the original forecast.
- The County will also pre-pay pension costs removing $15 million dollars from the 2007 budget.
- And the County is anticipating almost $23 million dollars in additional revenue in 2007 from initiatives such as the community use of the County’s fiber optic network, support of the Renew Monroe program in the County Clerk’s Office, and green energy generated from the Mill Seat landfill.
“These are important changes that will control costs and balance the budget without compromising the high level of service individuals and families have come to expect from the County,” Brooks continued.
Monroe County has traditionally depended on grant monies being delivered following the budget’s passage. Utilizing the software system Systems, Applications, & Programs (SAP), Monroe County will be able to more clearly account and designate grant funds received and expended as part of the budget. SAP is utilized by Fortune 500 companies such as Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft and Verizon, and is well-known for its clarity and accuracy in financial reporting.
The utilization of this cutting-edge technology will provide the maximum in County reimbursements for mandated services provided, and will provide Monroe County further opportunities to streamline County finances, both this year, and in the years to come. Utilizing this system, Monroe County has designated a separate budget line entitled the “Grants Budget”. This budget line totaling $147,373,549 reflects federal and state grants received and spent on mandated services such as public health, welfare and law enforcement.
Brooks pointed to Medicaid costs as the single largest barrier to achieving permanent fiscal solvency, and the main cause of the County’s reoccurring structural gap.
“County Medicaid costs rose a staggering 51% between 2001 and 2006, and sales tax revenues essentially flatlined…rising an anemic 9% during the same period of time,” Brooks continued. “The result is a Medicaid gap rising at nearly six times the growth of sales tax revenue…leaving a $42-million dollar gap between the cost of Medicaid and the dollars we have to pay for the program. That gap is the barrier between crisis and stability.”
Brooks noted that her administration has consistently upheld its obligations to property taxpayers by providing a responsive, open government that operates at the lowest-possible cost.
“We have kept faith with property taxpayers,” Brooks stated. “We have met the challenge of rising costs and increased Albany demands on our budget with fiscal restraint, controlled spending and without massive cuts that would threaten the safety and well-being of our community.”
Despite the commitment kept to property taxpayers, Monroe County is faced with a long-term projected structural deficit exceeding $100,000,000. Brooks noted that a deficit of this magnitude would threaten our quality of life, hurt our ability to create jobs and grow the economy, and eventually have a devastating effect on this County’s ability to provide basic services to our residents.
“I will not turn my back on a true community solution that removes the threat of property tax increases, that improves our county’s jobs climate, that improves the County’s credit rating, that rebuilds our reserves, that allows for less borrowing…all while eliminating the largest mandated expense, Medicaid, from the backs of County property taxpayers and employers….forever,” Brooks concluded.
2006 Adopted Monroe County Budget
County Executive’s 2006 Budget Proposal Keeps Property Tax Rate Flat and Holds Spending Below Inflation.
Brooks says 2006 spending plan provides “breathing room” to deal with fiscal challenges.
Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks submitted the 2006 Proposed Monroe County Budget to lawmakers on October 11, 2005, following an address to the Monroe County Legislature.
“The 2006 Budget is balanced, fiscally responsible, keeps faith with taxpayers ... and reasonably funds programs and services that are important to the residents of our community,” said Brooks.
The County Executive’s Budget keeps the property tax rate flat for a second straight year.
“I am proud, once again, to honor my commitment to the taxpayers of our community by holding the property tax rate flat for Monroe County,” said Brooks. “At $9.10, it is the same rate that the County Legislature set for the previous two Monroe County Budgets.”
The Budget holds overall County spending to a level below the rate of inflation. At $998.9 million, total County spending increases by $16.6 million or 1.7%. Mandated spending, which accounts for 78.6% of the Budget, increases by $12.2 million. Non-Mandated spending, which accounts for the remaining 21.4% of the Budget, increases by $4.4 million.
“Even with the application of measures enacted by the State of New York to control the growth of mandated costs to county governments, the 2006 Budget shows mandated costs, in gross dollars, growing essentially three times faster than non-mandated costs,” said Brooks.
While the 2006 Proposed County Budget is fully funded, the County Executive’s multi-year forecast, which is included in the budget document, predicts a combined budget gap of $102.3 million dollars for 2007 and 2008, with projected cost increases exceeding available revenue in those years.
“With the tremendous budgetary challenges that face us, the 2006 Budget provides our community with fiscal breathing room,” said Brooks. “It does not slash vital programs or end necessary services. It holds spending below the rate of inflation, keeps the property tax rate flat and provides for the deficit-free operation of County Government in the upcoming year.”
Brooks said that passage of the 2006 Monroe County Budget will allow the Administration, the Legislature and the community to come together and determine the next steps which need to taken, in order to achieve the financial goal of structural balance.
“Approval of the 2006 Budget will provide us the opportunity we need to address our underlying financial challenges ... in an environment that is free of a budget crisis,” said Brooks. “I am confident that we will join one another, in a collaborative effort, and right the structural issues that continue to erode the progress we achieve with the passage of each year’s budget.”
View the 2006 Budget—a 721 page spending proposal (4,389k PDF).
2005 Adopted Monroe County Budget
County Executive’s 2005 Budget Keeps Property Tax Flat and Maintains Services.
County Executive Maggie Brooks submitted her proposal for the 2005 Monroe County Budget.
“This budget keeps faith with the taxpayers of our community. It keeps the property tax rate flat and maintains services for local residents,” said Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks. “This budget represents my vision of Monroe County’s priorities for the upcoming year—and offers a plan for our community’s future.”
View the 2005 Monroe County Budget—a 764 page spending proposal (3,169k PDF).
The County Legislature, in a bipartisan vote, approved County Executive Brooks’ budget last December.
