Mandates to curb spending

County budget hearings are taking place on a daily basis now in Poughkeepsie as legislators perform their role leading to the eventual adoption of the county budget on Tuesday, Dec. 7.

What makes this year tough is the volume of state-mandated spending imposed on the county. This leaves little discretionary room for county leaders to finance current programs and services without raising taxes. As the economy has roughened, the cost to perform these mandated services has also risen.

The $399 million proposed 2011 county budget includes $72.1 million in state-mandated funding, a figure that does not include the personnel or administrative costs to deliver the required programs. The breakdown of these 2011 state mandates is as follows:

•Medicaid — $38.9 million

•Pre-School Special Education/Early Intervention — $9.1 million

•Family Assistance — $2.1 million

•Safety Net — $4.5 million

•Institutional Care/Foster Care — $12.4 million

•Day Care — $0.6 million

•State Training School — $2.4 million

•Juvenile Detention — $0.7 million

•Assigned Counsel — $1.4 million

With the added costs of pension contributions (determined by the state and expected to rise by 40 percent in 2011), counties across the state are left between a rock and hard place in determining their own budgets. In Dutchess County, legislators adopted a resolution this month asking the state Legislature to reduce the local costs imposed by state programs.

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While county leaders are justified in pointing fingers at Albany, I think more is needed. We, too, have a role in managing the mandates, in that by seeking to understand how these programs work we can limit the expenses.

For instance, proactive managing of our mandates might mean spending the $1,654 a month to house a homeless person in a supported apartment rather than current practice of $2,000 month in a hotel room (more if that homeless person winds up in the jail or the ER).

This month I have been urging the Legislature to involve ourselves with the special education programs offered by the county’s 13 school districts. When school districts scale back their special education programs and kids have to go elsewhere to learn, the county ends up paying the costs. In 2011 this amount is projected to be a startling $7.35 million.

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I believe our county needs to sit down with school superintendents and principals and have a discussion on how we can better provide special education services locally (perhaps as a shared service among districts) as a cost-saving measure, but also because investing in kids is important. I think a countywide parents committee on special education is an important first step.

Similarly, an open discussion on a jail expansion to save costs in housing out inmates can also save us juvenile detention and training school costs if a youth wing is explored. County policies regarding assigned counsel and Medicaid recipients are also ripe.

As a function of the state, county government must provide services mandated from above, but controlling these costs is a local responsibility. Solid policies are needed in each of the areas above so as to effectively manage our mandates.

 Michael Kelsey represents Amenia, Washington, Stanford, Pleasant Valley and Millbrook in the Dutchess County Legislature. Write him at KelseyESQ@yahoo.com.