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Brian Adey
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Oneida County Executive Joseph A. Griffo today unveiled his 2004 budget proposal, calling it "a major step that creates a climate of fiscal responsibility and accountability in County Government."

Griffo presented his budget to the Oneida County Board of Legislators in the same legislative chambers where just over 100 days ago he took the oath of office as Oneida County Executive.

"This budget and the policies I have brought to County Government over the past 100 days are the proof that the people of Oneida County can and will have tax stability; economic growth; and action-oriented leadership that brings Oneida County to new heights by finding the magnificent opportunities that come to us wrapped in challenges," Griffo said. "In only 100 days we have overcome obstacles, gone beyond preconceived notions and begun building the momentum that will carry us into the future. This budget begins a new era for Oneida County, lays the foundation for dynamic economic growth, and meets challenges with creativity, vision, teamwork, dedication and leadership."

"We will meet the wants of the experts on Wall Street, while also meeting the needs of the families on Main Street," Griffo said. "The cuts in this budget reflect a very simple philosophy: No matter how much we may like or want a program, I refuse to look families in the eye that are stretching every single dollar just to survive and give them some politically correct phrase for why we want to spend money they do not have. That’s what I believe, and that’s how this County Government operates. Fiscal conservatism is more than words; it is a management philosophy that lays the foundation for dynamic economic growth."

The county tax levy increases 3.7%, which means an average county homeowner pays $20.51 more in 2004. (Communities vary due to equalization rates). The total tax levy increase of $1,965,151 is less than the projected, mandated Medicaid increase of $4.7 million. "As Mayor of Rome, 8 of my 11 budgets either froze or cut taxes and I abolished the city’s .25% sales tax. Good management can prevent the boom-and-bust cycles of tax increases and under my administration, it will," Griffo said. "We want people to buy homes, and afford to keep them. We want employers to create jobs by expanding, and afford to grow here. We want the families and senior citizens who have invested years in building our communities, helping in our schools and volunteering with our youth to feel secure in their piece of the American Dream."

Highlights of Griffo’s budget include:

• Fifty-six positions were eliminated and 100 positions left vacant. There are no layoffs, although restrictive hiring will limit filling vacancies.
• The capital budget includes $300,000 for Stanley Performing Arts Center to help secure additional state funding and continue county commitment to vital project; $460,000 for Sheriff’s Department Road Patrol cars as a one-time plan to catch up on deferred needs and $4,522,400 for road repairs.
• Towns will be paid an additional $100 per mile for plowing county roads to help blunt the impact of soaring fuel prices.
• Cell phones will be reduced by 6.8 percent.
• The budget protects 22 libraries and 14 cultural institutions by preserving funding at 2003 levels. For the Utica Public Library and Rome’s Jervis Public Library, this means $570,000 each in 2004.
• The budget also preserves full funding for the county’s unique agricultural economic development efforts through Cornell Cooperative Extension.

Griffo noted these major pressures on the budget

• Medicaid, which consumes 84 percent of the property tax levy, is budgeted at $53.2 million for 2004, up 10 percent from 2003’s budget. There are currently 38,377 people on Medicaid, up 30 percent from 2001.
• State Retirement System payments total $8.5 million, 10 times the roughly $800,000 paid out in 2002. The county will bond for $4.1 million of that amount.

"I will use my experience leading New York’s Conference of Mayors and my proven relationships with state leaders to begin the fundamental reforms that are needed to relieve the pressure of mandates on every single county in New York," Griffo said. "Anyone can make a lot of noise. But you need to know how to get results. I’ve demonstrated the ability to navigate the politics of Albany and succeed. We don’t need slogans and photo ops, we need solutions that will limit increases in all taxes, hold all governments to the same standards we hold for ourselves and redefine the fiscal relationship between the state and county governments to create growth."

"I will not rest on the work of these 100 days," Griffo told legislators. "The fiscal conservatism Oneida County needs is a deliberate, ongoing, top-to-bottom process that takes a professional approach to the issues, embraces realism more than rhetoric, and gives full consideration to every option on the table, including shared services and privatization. This budget is our jumping-off point to even greater achievements."