Chautauqua County Legislature voting session (August 28, 2024)
After more than a half hour of discussion, the Chautauqua County Legislature approved setting a target for the general fund balance.
The update to the County’s Financial Management Policy includes the language that the County “…shall strive to maintain unobligated fund balance of not less than 5% and not more than 15% of General Fund budgeted appropriations, including interfund transfers, with a target of 12.5%.”
Previously, there had been no target referenced in the policy.
Jamestown Legislator Fred Larson said in his comments that the county needs to prove why the addition of the general fund target is needed, “Who wants to go for a range of 5 to 15% and have this Legislature agree that a target is 12.5% percent? Each percent being roughly $3 million extra of taxpayer’s money. I don’t see the need for this and I don’t see the need to defend the status quo. It’s up to whoever wants this change to explain why we need a target.”
Larson said while governments tend to view the fund balance as the county’s money, he said it’s actually “the taxpayer’s money.”
Finance Director Kitty Crow confirmed there is almost $46 million currently in the fund balance, up from nearly $37 million in 2023.
A motion by Fredonia Legislator Susan Parker to table the resolution for further discussion failed six to 13.
An amendment proposal by Larson to eliminate the 12.5% target failed eight to 12, with Republican Legislator Fred Johnson being one of the supporters, saying, “Partly seriously, partly humorously.. it chaps me to find a Democrat more fiscally conservative than I.”
Johnson said when it comes to budget struggles, the county should look to tighten its belt first, then look at going to the taxpayers, and lastly, look to the “exigency” fund for solutions.
Finance Director Kitty Crow said the Financial Policy gets reviewed every year and she compared the fund balance policies by eleven other counties in New York State as part of this year’s review, “There was one county that happened to have language regarding a target. And that was one of the suggestions based on a language from another county, so it wasn’t particularly arbitrary because I just happened to think that was a good idea. It’s subject, of course, to the Legislature’s consideration.”
A second amendment proposal by Legislator Larson to amend the target amount from 12.5% to 10% also failed six to 13.
Ultimately, the Legislature voted along party lines to approve the Financial Management Policy as presented by a vote of 14-5.
Leave a Reply