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Griffo Freezes Tax Levy, Limits Spending
In Proposed 2007 Oneida County Budget

Oneida County Executive Joseph A. Griffo today released his proposed 2007 Oneida County budget, which keeps property taxes stable and cuts county General Fund spending below the current General Fund budget.

“This budget holds the line because more than any other issue facing us today, the long-term future of our county, our region and our state rests on limiting the property tax burden,” Griffo told the Board of Legislators in his annual budget message, delivered at a special Board meeting in the Oneida County Office Building. “Property tax stability and property tax relief cannot be accomplished by spending. The hardworking overburdened taxpayers of Oneida County have a right to expect that we will keep taxes down, not as just a one-year gimmick, but as a way doing business year in and year out. That means sticking to our spending diet, providing exactly what is needed for essential core services and not one penny more.”

By holding the line on property taxes, Griffo said he projected the average county tax rate to fall to $8.67 per $1,000 of assessed value in 2007. This compares to an average of $8.83 in 2006, although individual amounts vary due to changes in assessment and equalization.

“I’ve heard that it’s hard to do more with less. It is. But what we are doing here is nothing compared to parents struggling to make ends meet, burning the candle at both ends just to put food on the table and keep a roof overhead,” Griffo said. “Taxes do not occur in a vacuum. The people who pay taxes are facing increased prices for basic foods such as bread, and gasoline prices that are still above where they were three years ago. Senior citizens are getting Social Security increases that don’t keep pace with the cost of living. Taxpayers should not give the government more because it means giving their families less.”

Griffo noted that during his tenure as Oneida County Executive, Oneida County’s property taxes will have increased less than 3%. By contrast, Money Magazine recently reported that nationally, that property taxes rose 35% from 2002 to 2006, according to Census data. A New York Times analysis concluded that nationwide, between 2000 and 2004, property taxes grew by 28 percent.

Griffo cautioned that only by limiting spending – even with mandated programs rising -- can taxes remain stable. “Fiscal discipline and the Medicaid cap we fought so hard to achieve are saving our taxpayers money,” he said. “Fiscal discipline remains important and I urge you to consider the need for spending restraint when considering any proposals for new positions, new projects or excessive bonding. The lesson of the past is clear that cost spikes will come in unexpected places, and that only by saving revenue for those emergencies can county taxes remain at the proper level.”

Noting that this was the second year in a row Griffo has proposed a budget that seeks to spend less than what had been approved the year before, he called attention to the on-going reductions in the workforce. “Oneida County Government is doing more with less. The county workforce continues to shrink. We have reduced positions every year. We will continue to do so,” he said. “There were 1,791 positions when I came here in 2003. This budget reduces that to 1,649. By eliminating positions, we shrink government year by year without impacting its ability to provide services.”

Griffo said Oneida County faces a major decision in 2007 with regard to Medicaid, which he noted is still a major cost center in the budget. “In 2007, counties can decide to give the state a slice of sales tax revenue forever and get out of the Medicaid business, or stay the current course and make payments to the state that increase very year. Either decision will cost us money. The challenge is to determine which option will best allow us to keep property taxes down,” he said.

While holding the line on spending, Griffo noted that “I am continuing to make County Government a vital force for improving the quality of life in our communities and to uphold our obligation to invest in areas that can help our county and our communities become more attractive, and our economy grow.”

Griffo noted that in his proposal:

Libraries across the county will see a 3% increase in county aid. Oneida County will also provide $100,000 toward the construction project vastly increasing the size of the New Hartford library.

The Utica Zoo will receive a 3% increase and a one-time payment of $45,000 to ensure the facility remains open while long-term options are sorted out this coming year.

Mohawk Valley Community College will see a quarter-of-a-million-dollar increase in county aid as well as continued capital project investment.

In addition to the $282,754,453 proposed General Fund budget that is funded through county property tax dollars as well as the sales tax and state and federal aid, the overall county budget includes other funds for revenues from specific sources that are required to be accounted for in separate funds and expenditures for services supported through user charges. These funds include the County Road Fund, Water Pollution Fund, and Debt Service Fund. The total proposed 2007 budget, including these special funds, totals $324,783,966