NYSAC - New York State Association of Counties

February 6, 2009

The NYSAC Legislative Conference Begins Monday, February 9th in Albany
Conference highlights:

Monday

• AM/PM -- Policy forums sponsored by NYSAC Standing Committees
• 12 Noon – Attorney General Andrew Cuomo Addresses the County Delegation
• 6 p.m. – Exhibitors reception, followed by conference-wide dinner

Tuesday

• AM/PM – Series of workshops designed around the issues facing today’s county officials
• AM Plenary – Remarks by Senate Republican Leader Dean Skelos, Assembly Republican Leader James Tedisco and Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith
• Luncheon Plenary – Remarks by Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Governor David Paterson
• 5:30 p.m. – Legislative Conference Reception

Wednesday

• AM – The conference closes with an address from State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli and a panel on the future of New York State’s economy.

Not registered? Don’t worry. Download your form today (www.nysac.org) and bring it in filled out to register in person at the conference.

Deficit Reduction Plan Advances State Budget Process
This week the Senate and Assembly acted on a negotiated version of a deficit reduction bill to close a current-year shortfall of approximately $1.6 billion. The plan avoids many of the program reductions proposed by the Governor and relies heavily on fund “sweeps” and other “one-shot” actions. Approximately half of the actions in this plan will have recurring fiscal benefit, reducing the projected 2009-10 State Budget gap by $800 million to approximately $13 billion.

The following are major components of the 2008-09 Deficit Reduction Plan:

• Increase SUNY Resident Undergraduate Tuition;
• Change Timing of NYC STAR Payment;
• Reduce Local Government Efficiency Grant Programs;
• Delay Implementation of Bridges to Health Program;
• Reduce OASAS Prevention Funding;
• Rescind 2008-09 Vacation Exchange Program for State level              management/confidential employees;
• Reduce New Legislative Programs (see detailed list of impacted items here:  http://www.budget.state.ny.us/budgetFP/deficitReductionPlan/newLegislativeProgramReduction.pdf);
• Eliminate Member Items Fund Transfer;
• Reduce Funding for Certain Economic Development Programs;
• Reduce Arts Grants Funding;
• Reduce the Environmental Protection Fund;
• Delay Nursing Home Rebasing;
• Eliminate Retroactive Nursing Home, Hospital and Home Care Trend Adjustment;
• Increase Covered Lives Assessment;
• Reduce Public Hospital Recruitment and Retention Grant Funding;’
• Eliminate Certain Non-public Hospital Grants;
• Change Healthy NY Financing;
• Recoup Early Intervention Program overpayments from New York City; and
• Implement various Fund Transfers.

With completion of the 2008-09 Deficit Reduction Plan, State Budget negotiations will focus on the State Budget for the 2009-10 state fiscal year beginning on April 1st. (Ken Crannell)

New OCFS Youth Facilities Rate Package Stings Counties
The New York State Office of Children and Families Services has issued a new youth facilities rate package that includes both 2008 rates as well as a retroactive rate reconciliation from calendar year 2002. Based on NYSAC's briefing of the plan, the total local impact payable by March 31, 2009 is estimated to be $109 million, which includes $71 million for three quarters of the 2008 rate and $38 million for the 2002 and 2007 reconciliation. The announcement of this required local payment increase comes after every county budget is in place for 2009, putting further pressure on counties as they manage through the national economic recession.

The payment of the fourth quarter of 2008 and the remaining reconciliation years (2003, 2004, and 2005) are payable as indicated by the attached chart:

The total local impact from the new OCFS youth facilities rate package is $215 million. 

The following is the Administrative Directive sent to County Social Services Departments announcing the new OFS Youth Facilities Rate Package:

http://www.ocfs.state.ny.us/main/policies/external/OCFS_2009/ADMs/09-OCFS-ADM-03%20Per%20Diem%20Chargeback%20Rates%20for%20OCFS-Operated%20Facilities%20and%20Programs.pdf.

If you have any questions, please contact the NYSAC offices. (Ken Crannell)

Winter issue of the NYSAC News magazine now available
Check out the Winter 2009 issue of the NYSAC News for news about ways to save money on partnership programs, state budget proposals, the latest economic statistics and a range of other timely articles designed for today’s county government official.

NYSAC Legislative Director Ken Crannell provides an update on the Executive State Budget, Ontario County Administrator Geoffrey Astles discussion how partnerships can pave the way to cost savings. You can access these and other stories online on our Website at www.nysac.org.

To read the magazine online or to download a PDF version of the issue, click here.

NYMIR Insurance Program to Return Capital to Participating Counties
This year, as an antidote for some of the bleak financial reports coming daily from Washington, D.C., Wall Street and Albany, almost 600 local governments in New York will receive a check from their insurance company. That’s right, the New York Municipal Insurance Reciprocal (NYMIR), which provides municipal insurance coverage for 22 counties and 560 other local governments in the state, has begun returning the capital investments of the governments who have been in the program for five years or longer.

NYMIR was started 16 years ago by the State’s three statewide municipal associations—the Association of Counties, the Conference of Mayors, and Association of Towns—as a way to protect municipalities from the cycles and fiscal uncertainties of the traditional insurance marketplace. The associations worked together to advocate for the passage of legislation that enabled the creation of the New York Municipal Insurance Reciprocal (NYMIR). In September of 1993, NYMIR was licensed by the New York State Insurance Department with an initial group of 26 subscribing members. Now we have more than 580 members and are stronger than ever.

At the November 2008 meeting of the NYMIR Board of Governors, 13 local government officials from across the state, the Board decided to initiate a program by which NYMIR will begin to return a substantial portion of the initial capital contribution made by all subscribing members to the Reciprocal. (Mark LaVigne)

Next Week
The 2009 NYSAC Legislative Conference will take place from Monday through Wednesday in Albany at the Desmond Hotel and Conference Center.

State lawmakers are scheduled to be in session from Monday, February 9th through Wednesday, February 11th.