SCHENECTADY COUNTY

ADOPTED 2021 OPERATING BUDGET

County of Schenectady NEW YORK

Rory Fluman Phone: (518) 388-4355

County Manager Fax: (518) 388-4590 Office of the County Manager

620 State Street Schenectady, New York 12305

TO: The Honorable Chair and Members of the Schenectady County Legislature

FROM: Rory Fluman, County Manager

DATE: October 1, 2020 ______

I present to the Schenectady County Legislature the County’s 2021 Tentative Operating and Capital Budgets. These financial plans represent estimates of expenditures and revenues grounded in the information and data currently available. These budgets are presented in an environment of fiscal uncertainty which will undoubtedly remain in flux for the next few months to come. The timeline for Federal financial assistance remains uncertain and not guaranteed. The County must remain nimble in managing these plans to accommodate shifting revenue sources and increased demands on County services upon which the residents of the County depend.

On March 13, 2020, Schenectady County declared a State of Emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The County remains in a declared State of Emergency with each County department affected. Schenectady County government has displayed unquestionable strength and character during the COVID-19 pandemic. So much has changed in a short period of time – the world around us; our neighborhoods; gathering spaces; the places we work and call home. Life during COVID-19 has sparked fear, frustration and anxiety all around, and yet we must focus our energy on defeating this pandemic and the challenges associated with it. Nothing is more important than ensuring the health and safety of our community. In short, Schenectady County must continue to govern.

The 2021 County of Schenectady Tentative Operating and Capital Budget recommendations I am presenting to you for your review and consideration have been affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The Operating and Capital Budgets continue to provide vital service delivery to the residents of Schenectady County with careful attention to the impact on real property taxpayers. To achieve this balance, this budget calls for the implementation of several cost savings measures, management strategies, and use of fund balance for 2021 operations.

More so than in years past, the management strategies necessary to manage the remainder of the 2020 fiscal year and the entirety of the 2021 fiscal year will lay the foundation for the development of the 2022 budget. The decisions made today with regards to revenue forecasts, planned expenditures, and use of fund balance will most certainly impact our collective flexibility in meeting the yet to be determined financial challenges and programmatic conditions which will confront us in the months ahead. Property Tax Cap

The proposed Schenectady County 2021 property tax levy is $71,804,510 and represents an increase of 1.95% from the 2020 Budget – a proposal that is $1,012,000 under the 2021 Property Tax Cap The unanticipated economic toll of the pandemic has required the County to consider a property tax increase for 2021, a change from the past four budget cycles during which the County was able to leverage positive economic growth to maintain or decrease property taxes.

These previous accomplishments are the result of the collective focus and commitment of our County Legislative leadership, management, and staff to serve the residents of Schenectady County in the most cost-effective manner possible. Again, in 2021, spending is controlled in this budget and all resident services are preserved.

The average County share of a property taxpayer’s total bill is approximately 21%; slightly lower in the City and slightly higher in the Towns. Were it not for mandated Medicaid and other New York State mandated costs there would be no County tax at all.

The permanency of the Property Tax Cap is anticipated t