Budget team - Steinhaus and Sommerville

POUGHKEEPSIE – “No more business as usual” said Budget Director Valerie Sommerville, in defending a long list of what she conceded were very painful choices, in putting the 2010 Dutchess County budget together. 

During a 40-minute detailed presentation of County Executive William Steinhaus’ 2010 budget proposal, Sommerville said that the one non-negotiable, for them, was no tax increase for property owners, and no increase in spending.  In fact, the $399 million 2010 budget is about $2.5 million below the adopted 2009 budget.

That, she said, meant very hard choices elsewhere.  “This budget includes dramatic cuts in spending across departments – county departments and agencies as well as community agencies – the specifics of which I am sure more will be discussed in more detail, with the department heads when they come in during the coming weeks.”

They first targeted the high-cost areas, including Health and Human Services, the Sheriff and Jail, and the Board of Elections.

A proposed restructuring of the sheriff road patrols, aimed at making the funding more equitable by requiring contracts and direct payments from municipalities desiring that service from the county, generated the most questions from legislators, both Republicans and Democrat.

“Do I understand you to say that the basic road patrol, that the Town of Pleasant Valley enjoys, would also need to be paid for by the town, in addition to what the town is currently paying for in a supplemental contract?  Is that the case?" said Legislator Suzanne Horn.

“That would be the town’s decision”, said Sommerville, but the restructuring is aimed at ending inequities that exist now, with some municipalities subsidizing others.

Other issues to come up included Sommerville’s reference to cutting back on what is spent with contract agencies.  Democrat Dan Kuffner noted that comes on top up to 70 county position cuts, including layoffs of 25 current county employees, built into the budget proposal.

“The truth is the impact will be rather significant on a number of those contract agencies for loss of jobs, so, that’s a double whammy”, claimed Kuffner.

For the rest of this month, department heads will review the budget, line by line, with the appropriate legislative oversight committees.

The formal public hearing is Wednesday, December 3, 7 p.m., at the Bardavon.