OSWEGO - Members of the Oswego County Legislature are sending a strong message to Albany to oppose proposals in the state budget that could shift more costs to property owners.

Legislators are concerned because the trend in the Governor’s proposed budget appears to continue to shift unfunded mandates to county governments and property taxpayers. Oswego County taxpayers could end up absorbing more than $1 million in additional costs next year to pay for programs that are mandated by New York State.

Oswego County Legislators passed several resolutions at their March meeting, calling on the Governor and State Legislature to end the practice of passing the costs of mandated state programs to county governments and our property taxpayers.

As proposed by former Governor Spitzer, Oswego County would be forced to spend $216,990 out of this year’s budget, and increase next year’s budget by $1.3 million, to cover unfunded mandates.

One example is the Pre-School Special Education program. Federal and state laws place responsibility for this program with the local school districts, but the state has placed the financial burden on counties rather than the schools. The county is required to carry a substantial portion of this cost but has no say in who receives services or how the money is used.

In Oswego County the cost has grown dramatically, from $3.8 million in 2001 to $8.7 million in 2008. The county share this year is $3.2 million. Last year Governor Spitzer and the State Legislature recognized that this program needs to be reformed and that increases should be capped. We believe that ultimately, administrative and program responsibilities for these services should be transitioned to the school districts.

Another example is a proposed shift in public assistance costs. Since the 1930s, the state and counties have split the cost of public assistance programs. Before he left office, Governor Spitzer proposed that the county absorb 2 percent more of the state costs for the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families and Safety Net programs. This would add $175,602 on the county property tax levy for 2009.

We also strongly oppose a proposed new formula for placing youth in juvenile detention facilities. For years the state and counties have worked in partnership to pay for local detention facilities, with the state reimbursing the county 50 percent of the secure and non-secure detention costs. For 2009, the Governor proposed that the county pay 100 percent, which is another $222,000. This is another example of a break in local and state partnerships and directly impacts property taxpayers in Oswego County.

The Oswego County Legislature has urged the state to oppose the policy and to strengthen efforts to rebuild local partnerships -- not destroy them. Our County Administrator, Philip Church, and our legislative leaders are working with the New York State Association of Counties to protect the interests of property owners. The Oswego County Legislature sent certified copies of these resolutions to Governor Paterson and our state elected representatives. I will keep you informed on the outcome as negotiations progress in Albany.