Budget
Mission Statement
The Budget Office of Broome County Government facilitates the optimal use of the public’s financial resources and provides timely and useful budget information to the County Executive, Legislature, Department Heads, community and constituents.
Description
The Budget Office is responsible for the direction, organization and implementation of a financial plan for the operation of Broome County government. This entails financial direction, preparation and review of departmental budgets and the preparation of an annual financial plan for the County. The Budget Office is also responsible for the control and maintenance of the county fiscal program covering both the operating budget and capital expenditure provisions. All budgetary activities are coordinated by this office and integrated into a unified plan so that expenditures can be controlled effectively and efficiently within fiscal guidelines and legislated appropriations for each agency or program. In addition, the budgetary staff acts as liaisons between departments and the County Executive with respect to financial, budgetary and program issues.
2010 Budget Highlights
We are taking steps now to stave off financial turmoil in the 2009 current budget. We have already implemented a hiring freeze. We are not purchasing any new equipment. We are not allowing any taxpayer supported travel that is not mandated in the final quarter of 2009. We are asking department heads to freeze spending to the best of their ability. We still have mandated expenses but where we can cut, we will.
Additional measures will probably be necessary. I ask for support from this legislature and our residents as we work our way through these chaotic times.
With all of these challenges in mind, and following a tremendous amount of work, the 2010 Broome County budget is calling for a 3.79% increase. That would mean approximately an additional $44 to the average taxpayer that owns an average $80,000 home.
This spending plan represents a nearly $353M appropriation for the next fiscal year. It also limits the increase in spending from a 5½ % increase last year to this year, to a 1½ % increase this year to next year.
No increase is a good increase, but we believe this strikes a balance between the demand on services that our residents require and the escalating costs of doing business.
Related Budget Publications
The following publications relate to Broome County Government's operating budgets:
CIP Capital Improvements Program
Broome Community College
Budget Process Overview
- Budget Office meets with all department heads and provides the memo of expectations, and the budget packets.
- Each department analyzes its needs and creates a requested budget.
- Departments present the requested budget to the budget office for review.
- After reviewing the requests the Budget Office meets one-on-one with each department head and their fiscal representatives to garner justification for the requests.
- The Budget Office makes adjustments to the departments requests.
- The Budget Office and the County Executive review all requests and adjustments to finalize a recommended budget to present to the legislative body.
- Legislators on the Finance Committee review the recommended budget and meet with department heads and the Budget Office for justification.
- The Finance Committee makes adjustments if necessary and present a report to the full legislative body.
- The Legislature reviews all recommendations and makes adjustments as necessary.
- The Legislature votes on the budget with all adjustments included.
- The County Executive has the ability to veto any of the adjustments to the recommended budget.
- The Legislature has one final opportunity to overturn any vetoes.
- The budget is adopted and ratified.
Copyright
Official County Government Site of Broome County, New York.
Copyright © 2010 Broome County. All Rights Reserved.
Comments or suggestions? Please e-mail the goBroomeCounty.com web site administrator
RSS Feed | Email This Page | Print This Page | Back To Top | Login