AUBURN - The Cayuga County Legislature adopted the 2009 budget at its November meeting Tuesday. The approved budget carries a 2.7 percent tax levy increase, down from the proposed 3.4 percent as of last week.
Peter Tortorici, R-Auburn, motioned to take $200,000 from the county's fund balance to help decrease the tax levy. The motion passed unanimously before the budget was approved.
The budget passed by a vote of 14-1, with George Fearon dissenting.
“We're not obligated to adopt the budget yet ... I believe there's still excessive spending in this budget that could be trimmed in certain spots,” Fearon, R-Springport, said. “Most of the budget, I don't have a problem with but there's still some areas and every dime is a dime that could still be in somebody's pocket.”
Fearon is especially concerned about a methane digester for the county. While that item is not in the budget, if state grants do not come through, the county would bear the burden of the cost.
“This one is dependent on a lot of grants that might not ever all come in and ultimately, this could be kind of a back door thing that could cost the citizens millions of dollars,” he said.
For most homeowners in Cayuga County the tax rate increase will be less than 30 cents for a $100,000 house, said County Manager Wayne Allen. In the City of Auburn, the tax rate increase will be 70 cents for a $100,000 house.
In addition to taking $200,000 from the county's fund balance to alleviate the burden of the tax levy increase, the Legislature made some other changes to the proposed budget prior to its approval. Raymond Lockwood, R-Fleming, proposed a $2,500 salary increase for the clerk of the Legislature, as well as an increase in benefits.
Francis Mitchell, R-Genoa, motioned to reinstate $15,000 to the Ward O'Hara Agricultural Museum, which will be used to renovate the building.
The Legislature unanimously approved both changes.
The total expenditures for the 2009 budget will be approximately $138,623,441, Mitchell said. Initially, the proposed budget included expenditures of $139,122,767.
The changes adopted by the Legislature prior to the budget being accepted were minor, Allen said, with the biggest one being the $200,000 taken from the fund balance.
Staff writer Gitana Mirochnik can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 237 or gitana.mirochnik@lee.net
The budget passed by a vote of 14-1, with George Fearon dissenting.
“We're not obligated to adopt the budget yet ... I believe there's still excessive spending in this budget that could be trimmed in certain spots,” Fearon, R-Springport, said. “Most of the budget, I don't have a problem with but there's still some areas and every dime is a dime that could still be in somebody's pocket.”
Fearon is especially concerned about a methane digester for the county. While that item is not in the budget, if state grants do not come through, the county would bear the burden of the cost.
“This one is dependent on a lot of grants that might not ever all come in and ultimately, this could be kind of a back door thing that could cost the citizens millions of dollars,” he said.
For most homeowners in Cayuga County the tax rate increase will be less than 30 cents for a $100,000 house, said County Manager Wayne Allen. In the City of Auburn, the tax rate increase will be 70 cents for a $100,000 house.
In addition to taking $200,000 from the county's fund balance to alleviate the burden of the tax levy increase, the Legislature made some other changes to the proposed budget prior to its approval. Raymond Lockwood, R-Fleming, proposed a $2,500 salary increase for the clerk of the Legislature, as well as an increase in benefits.
Francis Mitchell, R-Genoa, motioned to reinstate $15,000 to the Ward O'Hara Agricultural Museum, which will be used to renovate the building.
The Legislature unanimously approved both changes.
The total expenditures for the 2009 budget will be approximately $138,623,441, Mitchell said. Initially, the proposed budget included expenditures of $139,122,767.
The changes adopted by the Legislature prior to the budget being accepted were minor, Allen said, with the biggest one being the $200,000 taken from the fund balance.
Staff writer Gitana Mirochnik can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 237 or gitana.mirochnik@lee.net
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