Last week, as chair of the Legislature’s Finance and Management Committee, I hosted two days of informational hearings with each county office and department. The required Mid-Year Budget Hearings are designed to provide the Legislature with a snapshot of where each department stands financially, if they will close out the year under or above budget, and what changes might be needed in the coming year. All in all, each department reported that everything was going well.

Commissioners and department heads reported that nearly all departments were operating at or under budget and that services were being provided “better than ever.” If this holds true, my expectation for the coming year is that departmental funding will remain on par with 2016 levels. However, that has not been the case historically under this administration.  More often than not, the County Executive and departments continue to request additional jobs and increased funding. The Legislature continues to respond by requesting better management and implementation focused on efficiency to reduce the burden on taxpayers.

The Legislature has been able to reduce its own costs while reinvesting the savings into modernization. Since taking over the Majority in 2014, Chairman John Mills and I have been able to improve how the Legislature operates while increasing transparency and providing easier access to Legislative records, actions, and procedures.

We are now looking for all offices and departments to follow suit. However, spending requests seem to have run rampant recently, in what can only be described as an attempt to solve every issue that arises by spending more money.  I find this surprising given the administration’s repeated attempts to take credit for the fiscally responsible actions taken by the Legislature, including two straight years with a tax cut. 

In fact, just before our Mid-Year Budget Hearings, the County Executive boasted about his leadership in returning more than $7 million to fund balance. His message failed to mention that he never wanted to put that money in fund balance.  If he had gotten his way, all but $300,000 would have been spent on new programs for 2016 initiated by the county executive after the passage of the 2016 budget.  The Legislature continues to refuse to spend one shot revenues on recurring expenses. 

In another matter, the County Executive has already announced he will veto the proposed revisions to the County Charter drafted and recommended by a volunteer commission.   He did so without holding a required public hearing to listen to your input.  It appears his major hang up is a revision that takes the politics out of the County Attorney’s office, and creates a more independent County Attorney who can better represent the taxpayers.  I am disappointed the executive is throwing out the entirety of the package over politics.  What’s also concerning is that after the independent Charter Review Commission spent several months working on proposals and after more than two dozen public meetings were held, the County Executive will veto the package before it has a chance to go before you, the voters.