Chautauqua County Legislature

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Sheriff Receives More Money, Veto Unlikely
By Dennis Phillips
10/25/2007 - MAYVILLE — The Chautauqua County Legislature voted 20 to 5 on its 2008 budget, which increased appropriations to the Sheriff’s Department by $750,000.

Joseph Gerace, county sheriff, said the increase in funding should mean no layoffs for the department’s road patrol in 2008.

‘‘I’m very appreciative of what the legislature did (Wednesday),’’ Gerace said. ‘‘At this level, there would be no need to reduce staff. This is a victory for the people of Chautauqua County.’’

The increased funding to the sheriff’s department was one of four tentative budget amendments proposed during the meeting, which were heard for the first time as a legislative group because none of the changes were brought up officially during last week’s committee meetings or earlier this month during budget hearings.

As part of the amendment, which passed 19-6, to increase funding to the Sheriff’s Department, $33,600 in funding was restored to 4-H groups. During the public portion of the legislative meeting, several children and parents involved in 4-H spoke about the importance of the community organization and their personnel experiences, one young girl in tears.

Another change to the 2008 tentative budget was an appropriation of $783,600 from the county’s fund balance, or savings, to fund the Sheriff’s Department and 4-H groups, which also passed 19 to 6. The county’s projected fund balance for the end of this year will be nearly $14.5 million. Keith Ahlstrom, D-Dunkirk and legislative chairman who supported the amendment, said the county’s savings, when above the state recommended level, should be given back to its citizens for reasons like increasing funding to the Sheriff’s Department.

‘‘What better use for that money than to protect its citizens? What better way to use their money?’’ he asked.

Those who were against the increase in the amount of county fund balance used in the 2008 budget, which already was projected to use $1,940,000, said it goes against the county’s financial management policy. The county’s financial management policy is a guideline that reads after the state recommended amount is reached, 5 percent of the yearly county budget, or about $10 million, only a third of the remaining amount should be used to off set budget expenses. According to the financial guideline, only $1,700,000 of the county’s fund balance should be used in 2008. With the increase in appropriations made in the amendment, the county is set to use almost $2.7 million of its savings in 2008.

The third amendment passed by the legislature was to increase the amount of expected sales tax revenue by $300,000, which passed 15 to 10. Those who supported the amendment said the county usually runs a surplus each year, like the county’s $2.4 million surplus in 2006. Those against the amendment said it’s dangerous to overestimate how much potential revenue the county might receive next year.

The fourth amendment, which passed 14 to 11, decreased the county’s Public Facilities Department funding by $250,000 for engineering, administration, road and bridge maintenance, and snow removal. The department’s funding was already decreased by more than $2 million in the tentative budget, which eliminated nine full-time and five part-time positions. Chuck Cornell, D-Jamestown and majority leader, said the decrease in funding still leaves the department with an increase over a two-year span because the department’s funding was increased by about $1 million in 2007. Fred Croscut, R-Sherman and minority leader, voted against the amendment because he said it will threaten public safety, just like a decrease in road patrol officers.

‘‘Our residents like to see quality roads just as much as they like seeing a Sheriff’s road patrol car,’’ he said.

County Legislature Amends Budget

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County Executive Does Not Veto Budget Amendments

By Nicholas L. Dean

11/6/2007 - MAYVILLE — Changes made by the County Legislature to Greg Edwards’ 2008 budget will remain intact, as Edwards declined to veto any of the legislative amendments passed last month.

Approved in a 20 to 5 vote on Oct. 24, the legislature’s modified budget increased funding to the Sheriff’s Department and to Cornell Cooperative Extension while decreasing funding to the Public Facilities Department. Additionally, an amendment increased expected sales tax revenue by $300,000.

Edwards had until 5 p.m. Monday to veto any of the legislature’s four amendments — two of which had enough bipartisan support to likely overturn a veto.

Calling his initial budget a ‘‘balanced, fundamentally sound, forward-thinking approach to county finances,’’ Edwards criticized the legislature’s amendments in an announcement issued at 4:45 p.m. Monday.

‘‘They decided to use our fund balance to fill the hole left by the reduction of sales taxes,’’ Edwards wrote. ‘‘This use of savings to fund ongoing expenses is a recipe for financial disaster. This is precisely what drove the County into deficit financing in 2005. They have also passed additional property tax reductions by cutting resources available to our DPF, and increased projections of our sales tax revenue for next year.’’

By increasing the amount of expected sales tax revenue and decreasing the county’s Public Facilities Department funding by $250,000 for engineering, administration, road and bridge maintenance and snow removal expense, the two legislative amendments cut property taxes by a total of $550,000.

‘‘I think the key amendment was the $550,000 property tax cut,’’ said Chuck Cornell, D-Jamestown and majority leader. ‘‘I’m very, very pleased that the property tax levy was cut an additional $550,000. This is a two-year effort that we’ve put forth to try to reduce taxes across the board — whether it’s property taxes or eliminating the home heating tax. We’re certainly moving in the right direction and are very pleased with the outcome.’’

During last year’s budget preparations, the legislature cut the property tax levy from a proposed $2.2 million increase to roughly $1.1 million, according to Cornell.

‘‘We had wanted to keep it at zero, but were able to cut it in half and this year there was essentially no increase, so we were able to reduce it further,’’ Cornell said.

The amendment to increase expected sales tax revenue was passed 15 to 10 by the legislature, while the proposal to decrease the county’s Public Facilities Department funding was passed 14 to 11. The resolutions appropriating $783,600 from the county fund balance, or savings, to fund the Sheriff’s Department and Cornell’s 4-H program both passed 19 to 6.

‘‘I’d just like people to know that the leadership, the Democrats and the Republicans, worked very hard to come up with these four amendments,’’ said Fred Croscut, R-Sherman and minority leader. ‘‘We worked together in a bipartisan effort to get those for amendments so that each side would be able to argue their points and vote, and the majority had the call there. Our Republican caucus supported restoring funding back to the Sheriff’s department, but I had expected Greg would veto the sales tax amendment. I can live with it, but we have a challenge for next year and we absolutely cannot raise property taxes.

‘‘I realize that we have our work cut out for us for next year,’’ Croscut continued. ‘‘I do think that the Sheriff over-budgeted revenues and I know now that we have got to address that next year. We just can’t simply take money out of contingency at the end of the year. That’s a challenge I fully understand.’’

Calling the cuts to the Department of Public Facilities a concern, Croscut questioned what will happen if the county experiences a rough winter — and speculated that the cuts will likely cause the county to go in the hole.

Cornell and legislators who supported the amendment said the decrease in funding still leaves the department with an increase over a two-year span because the department’s funding was increased by $1 million in 2007.

The County Budget Amendments

[Linda_D]

Legislature Control Too Close To Call

By Dennis Phillips

11/7/2007 - MAYVILLE — Change and uncertainty is the best way to describe the aftermath of the 2007 County Legislature election on Tuesday.

Their will be at least eight new faces on the County Legislature come January with four candidates defeating incumbents to go along with four districts where incumbents didn’t run for re-election. New legislators who defeated incumbents included the Republican-endorsed Shawn Heenan, who defeated Ron Szot in District 2, Democrat Leon Beightol, who defeated Stephen Kimball in District 7, Republican-endorsed Ron Lemon, who defeated Robert Anderson in District 8; and Dr. Rudy Mueller, who was endorsed by the Democrats, defeating Louis Drago in District 18.

‘‘This is a big surprise to me,’’ said Mueller. ‘‘It’s been a long time since a Democrat won in that area.’’

Lemon appreciated the voter’s support for a new legislator, but said voters in the Carroll area had no wrong choice on Election Day.

‘‘I feel our district had an advantage over other districts, we had the advantage of two really nice people and the voters had a good choice. I was fortunate enough to be elected over Mr. Anderson, who worked hard for the people,’’ he said.

New faces will also be appearing in District 9 where Republican Larry Barmore defeated Ken Brentley, District 16 where Democrat Chuck Nazzaro defeated James Ventura and District 24 where Democrat Dave Kleparek defeated Dean Erdle.

Barmore said he wouldn’t have won without the support of his predecessor, Lance Spicer.

‘‘It feels good to win. I worked really hard to attain the seat,’’ he said. ‘‘I received a lot of help from Lance Spicer. His help really helped me to win.’’

Nazzaro will be filling the shoes of longtime veteran legislator Joseph Trusso, who served for 36 years.

‘‘I know I have big shoes to fill. I will make you proud,’’ he said to Trusso at Democratic Headquarters in Jamestown on Tuesday. ‘‘Joe was a legend up in Mayville, and the reason Joe supported me ... was he wanted someone to pick up what he had done.’’

Also, there are still two districts that will be finalized by counting absentee ballots, like District 4, with incumbent David Wilder holding a 21-vote lead with 82 absentee ballots to be counted, and District 23, with Tom Dejoe holding a 14-vote lead over Harold Smith with 22 absentee ballots still to be counted.

If the absentee ballots don’t change current results, the Democrats will keep a hold on to the majority with 12 endorsed candidates being elected, with Republicans one legislator behind with 11 representatives. There is also one Independent, Scott Stutzman, and one Conservative, Tina Hallquist, on the legislature.

Chuck Cornell, D-Jamestown and majority leader, said the majority, with three incumbents retiring, was definitely up in the air.

‘‘It looks like we’ve picked up a few seats and lost a few seats,’’ he said. ‘‘It looks like we have maintained the majority if the numbers hold up. We had our backs against the wall for this election. We had a number of retirements, but I think we had a terrific ticket — great, great people. I think the Republicans did as well. I give them a lot of credit.’’

Fred Croscut, R-Sherman and minority leader, said he hopes the election goes his party’s way when every last vote has been counted.

‘‘Certainly, we will have a lot of new faces on the County Legislature and I’m looking forward to that. I certainly hope we will have the majority,’’ he said. ‘‘Either way, I will continue to work in the best interest of the county. I will continue to represent the county and work toward reducing property taxes.’’


Too Close to Call


Chautauqua County's legislators are true part-timers. They don't make anywhere near the $42,000 a year for "part-time" work, the legislature meets in the evening, their "district offices" are their homes, and their "staff" is whomever answers the phone at their homes. Maybe that's why at least a third of the legislators will be "newbies" when the new legislature convenes.

Oh, yeah, and the CL got the county budget amended before election day and the CE said "no veto" on the day before the election (even though the budget deadline is December 1), so the voters knew before the election where the incumbents and the parties stood on fiscal matters before the election.

Not all governments in Western New York are disfunctional.