Budget to supervisors tonight, hearing Tuesday

11/8/2011

By Jim Poole

Schoharie County's 2012 financial picture will probably shape up as most officials expect:
Unpleasant.
Co-Budget Officers Alicia Terry and Paul Brady will present the tentative budget to the Board of Supervisors' Finance Committee tonight, Wednesday, and a public hearing on the budget is set for Tuesday.
The 10am hearing is in the supervisors' temporary meeting space at the MOSA building on Route 7 in Cobleskill.
"It's not pretty," Ms. Terry said Monday, without releasing budget figures.
Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee severely damaged public and private property. Damaged public property put a strain on county services, and damaged private property hurt taxpayers and the county's tax base.
The storms caused an increased demand on Social Services, Ms. Terry said, adding to the budget issues.
But Irene and Lee aren't the only factors. There's a weak economy playing a part in the budget mix, too.
"You can anticipate layoffs and likely some program changes as well," Ms. Terry said.
Also, federal stimulus money available this year won't be here in 2012, she added.
Increases in items officials can't control, such as insurance, may push the budget beyond the mandated two-percent property tax cap, she said.
"I don't know [if it will]," Ms. Terry said. "That's not a very good answer, but it's an honest one."
The Finance Committee can refine the proposed budget, as can the full Board of Supervisors.
There's already a local law prepared that supervisors can enact to exceed the two-percent cap, Ms. Terry said.
"People aren't going to be happy with Paul and I, but in this situation, we did the best we could," she said.