Molinaro brings budget talk to Millerton

MILLERTON — Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro discussed his 2015 Tentative County Budget at the American Legion Hall Post No. 178 on Monday, Nov. 24.

Before addressing the budget, Molinaro invited County Legislator Gregg Pulver (R-19) to speak about a local rescue that occurred in front of The Moviehouse on Oct. 18, in which Millerton Police Officer Matthew Leonard, Millerton Fire Company First Assistant Chief Joshua Schultz and Northern Dutchess Paramedic Zack Sawicki responded to a 911 call for a seizure that turned out to be a heart attack.

Pulver thanked the three men. Leonard and Schultz, present in the audience, were invited to the front of the room.

Pulver read an official recognition of Leonard on behalf of the legislature.

“The Dutchess County Legislature hereby acknowledges and commends Police Officer Matthew Leonard, Millerton Police Department, for his heroic deed and conduct, his commitment to his duty and respect for mankind that he displayed on Oct. 18, 2014, that resulted in saving a life,” he said.

Molinaro added to Pulver’s sentiments, addressing both Leonard and Schultz.

“Gregg and I want to present these proclamations to you, but more importantly to extend our gratitude and congratulations” he said. “You really do represent the very best and the very finest in our community and for that we’re exceptionally grateful.”

Budget background

The county executive began his budget discussion with personal history and Dutchess County government background.

As mayor of Tivoli, his first public office, Molinaro said he learned that local government is personal.

“I’ve always carried that personal feel with me, and when I became county executive, I wanted, to the extent that we could, make county government more open, more accessible,” he said, explaining it as his motive for holding local town meetings.

“What I want to walk you through is where we are in 2014 and 2015,” he said.

When he became county executive in 2012, Molinaro said he inherited a budget with a $40 million gap — “the difference between projected revenues and expected expenditures.

“At the same time, we were in the eighth year of economic downturn,” he added, noting the results of which faced county government with a shrinking tax base.

“At the same time, the demand for services really was skyrocketing, nearly a 70 percent increase in social-service case load in the same time period … and nearly 50 percent increase in mental health case load,” he said.

This initiated Molinaro’s goal of what he described as a multi-year transformation of county government. He affirmed that since 2012, his office has reshaped that system.

“When I came into office, we had 12 separate county departments. Today we have nine. And, at the end of 2015, we’ll have eight,” he said. 

In addition to reducing the amount of administration, the county placed emphasis on “streamlining delivery” and “making things more efficient.”

Molinaro gave examples of large- and small-scale accomplishments made toward those efforts.

“When I started in county government, we used to subsidize solid waste management $4 million a year. In 2015, $0 — self sufficient,” he said. “We turned a business that was losing $4 million a year into a business that’s self-sustaining in three years.”

A smaller example involved saving $11,000 a year by enabling all county government office printers with double-sided printing. 

“The results of all that decision making really start to show themselves in the 2015 budget,” the executive said.

2015 tentative budget

Molinaro elaborated on how his efforts in reshaping county government reflect in the current tentative budget.

With no increase in staff, the budget features the smallest workforce in 32 years at 1,700 county employees.

“This budget is the third consecutive year of spending reductions,” he added. “This is, by the way, however, the first budget that we’ve presented, and I think probably the first budget in the last eight years, that hasn’t diminished services. We’re finally starting to level off.”

Molinaro added that in the budget are “specific economic development investments,” particularly in agriculture, tourism, and capitalizing empty business space. 

“This budget produces the largest property tax levy cut in 14 years,” he said. “Because of these things, because of the size of our workforce, because of the spending reductions, because the consolidation of county government, this budget … if it’s adopted as is, the Dutchess County taxpayers will receive a state-funded taxpayer rebate check.”

The executive explained that state government provides these rebates if counties reduce government and stay under the tax cap.

“When you take the levy cut plus the rebate check, it equates to about a 2 percent reduction in tax burden,” he said.

Mandate relief

The executive said that since 70 percent of his government’s service costs are mandated by state and federal government, he continues to push for mandate relief.

“The 2015 budget that we present cuts county spending, it cuts county taxes, and it does that with a $2 million increase in mandated spending — can’t shoulder that, that’s not something you can shoulder,” he said.

Molinaro summarized that the 2015 budget continues his effort “to make county government smaller, smarter and more effective.”