Budget Time

It's budget time - my first experience of this process - and so far it hasn't been any fun.  We have about $5 million and change to cut from the combined departmental budgets, and it seems that most, perhaps all, of the fat has been cut in the previous three or four years of the recession.  Departments have been reorganizing and streamlining, and committees have been pretty vigilant regarding new or unnecessary spending.

The recovery has been slow, but it is a recovery, and economy-dependent revenues are increasing slowly.  Our fund balance (sort of a complex savings account) is strong, relative to many other similar counties, and within generally accepted guidelines.  And in a couple of years, the Manor's annual deficit - coincidentally, about the same as the amount we have to cut right now - may be resolved.

But right now, we have to cut a lot of spending (and maybe project a little higher revenue), enough that most programs will be closely scrutinized and we will be asking, "Should Otsego County be in the business of doing this particular thing?" all over the budget.  I'm in the midst of going through the two-inch-thick budget proposal line by line, preparing a report for the Chair regarding anything I've found that might be reduced or eliminated.  The other 13 Reps are in the midst of the same thing.

Any ideas you might have, let me know.