By Tom Grace
Otsego County Treasurer Myrna Thayne has filed a tentative 2010 county budget that calls for increasing the property-tax levy by $1,148,718, or 11.11 percent.
In the current budget year, the tax levy was $10,343,089. For next year, as the tentative budget stands, it will be $11,491,718.
The number may change as the county board strives to adopt a budget by the Dec. 20 deadline.
Thayne has estimated that the county will collect $29.5 million in sales-tax revenue next year, just under what it is likely to collect this year.
In a letter to the Otsego County Board of Representatives dated Monday, Thayne wrote that appropriations in the tentative budget total $114,755,638, up $3,159,321 from the current budget. She indicated that a significant portion of the 2.83 percent increase comes from the county's rising contribution to the New York state retirement fund and the retroactive salary increases for members of the CSEA following the pay-increase agreement between the county and the workers.
``The impact of the recession along with the continued reductions in the New York State budget for state fiscal years 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 remains uncertain," she said, "as more of the costs of services are potentially shifted to the county by the state and federal governmental agencies.
"In addition, the continued decrease in sales-tax revenue ... along with the increase in the unemployment rate and the increase in unpaid taxes, deficit spending in 2008 and reductions in unrestricted fund balance continue to challenge those directly involved in developing a responsible, prudent fiscal plan of operation.''
County Board Chairman James Powers said Wednesday that further budgetary cuts were possible, but he noted that some board members and department heads want to increase the budget, which will be aired at a public hearing at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 1 at the county courthouse at 193 Main St. in Cooperstown.
The tentative budget includes cuts to the sheriff's office _ ones Sheriff Richard Devlin Jr. is fighting to overturn. These include a reduction of three deputies, six corrections officers and the county's boat patrol.
In a letter sent to dozens of county residents and ``public safety partner(s)" Nov. 16, Devlin urged people to come to the hearing ``in hopes of rescinding these detrimental cuts to public safety.
``We would encourage all of you who were going to attend the November 18 meeting to do so Dec. 1, 2009. We also suggest that you bring a friend or neighbor to support our cause!''
Powers said Wednesday that state police have assured him the county will be adequately policed, regardless of whether cuts in the sheriff's road patrol are made.
``The board will have a chance to restore positions, but I want residents to see what it's going to cost us in taxes,'' he said.
According to Laura Child, board-auditor clerk, the county tentative budget and other items included in the county tax bill are estimated to increase the county tax levy at different rates in different towns.
As of Wednesday, those estimates were city of Oneonta, up 11.30 percent; Burlington, up 2.99 percent; Butternuts, up 20.43 percent; Cherry Valley, up 19.72 percent; Decatur, up 14.04 percent; Edmeston, up 13.62 percent; Exeter, down .84 percent; Hartwick, up 7.97 percent; Laurens, up 4.47 percent; Maryland, up 10.06 percent; Middlefield, up 23.93 percent; Milford, up 7.22 percent; Morris, up 17.42 percent; New Lisbon, up 14.35 percent; Oneonta, up 16.85 percent; Otego, down 34.54 percent; Otsego, up 5.61 percent; Pittsfield, up 5.64 percent; Plainfield, up 12.63 percent; Richfield, up 8.60 percent; Roseboom, up 16.34 percent; Springfield, up 10.95 percent; Unadilla, up 2.72 percent; Westford, up 22.36 percent; and Worcester, up 13.48 percent.
Variations for county taxes within towns are often caused by differences in equalization rates.
