MAYVILLE - Democrats aren't happy with the 2011 budget which was passed by the County Legislature on Wednesday.
Republicans aren't happy either, but throughout the evening meeting, the minority party was the more aggressive and vocal about the budget, the tax increase it included and the failings of the review process.
Early on, party leaders like Keith Ahlstrom, D-Dunkirk, commented that everyone in the room already knew how they were going to vote on the budget itself as well as the proposed package of 13 changes. Democrats tried to force the issues to vote without hearing from department heads, but failed, as they did on most all the night's votes, as the Republicans had more members present.
In a statement e-mailed Thursday, Minority Leader Rudy Mueller, D-Lakewood, and Lori Cornell, D-Jamestown, wrote that their caucus stands strongly against the county executive's "irresponsible budget," which they say "only exacerbates" the county's rising property tax burden.
"The Edwards budget will put an additional $4 million property tax burden on the backs of the people of Chautauqua County who are already struggling," they wrote. "This increase comes with a near depletion of the $20 million surplus inherited by County Executive Edwards."
Mueller and Cornell continue on in the statement to speculate that the county will see an additional tax increase next year as a result of Tuesday's state Assembly race
Fact Box
STATEMENT TO THE PRESS BY THE DEMOCRATIC MINORITY
By Minority Leader Rudy Mueller, D-Lakewood, and Lori Cornell, D-Jamestown
Nov. 4, 2010
Last night, we stood strongly against the County Executives irresponsible budget that only exacerbates our countys rising property tax burden. The Edwards budget will put an additional $4 million property tax burden on the backs of the people of Chautauqua County who are already struggling. This increase comes with a near depletion of the $20 million surplus inherited by County Executive Edwards. In addition, with Tuesdays Assembly race election results, the taxpayers of Chautauqua County will likely be strapped with further tax hikes from this executive in the form of a multi-million dollar sales tax increase. It will be billed as a revenue increase and will again serve as a substitute to making the tough decisions to reduce spending. The people of Chautauqua County will once again be asked to pay more.
Over the last four years, Democrats, while serving in the majority leadership, were successful in trimming back the Edwards property tax increases by cutting spending. This year, now in the minority, we face a new and stark reality. And we refuse to allow the County Executive to make our efforts to better scrutinize the budget the issue of contention. The simple fact remains that this budget crisis did not happen overnight. It is the result of failed planning and irresponsible budgeting on the part of the Administration - most notably the use of one-shot revenues, overestimations in sales tax and methane plant revenues and a campaign-happy tax cut just last year.
We will continue to push for common sense reforms that strengthen our tax base and make government run more efficiently, like reducing the size of the county legislature and consolidating government services. We must curb the cost of local government in Chautauqua County -- one of the highest burdens in the nation.
"It will be billed as a "revenue" increase and will again serve as a substitute to making the tough decisions to reduce spending," they write. "The people of Chautauqua County will once again be asked to pay more."
The pair continue on to talk about their party's success, while in the majority leadership in recent years, of having trimmed back proposed property tax increases.
"This year, now in the minority, we face a new and stark reality," Mueller and Cornell wrote. "And we refuse to allow the county executive to make our efforts to better scrutinize the budget the issue of contention. The simple fact remains that this 'budget crisis' did not happen overnight. It is the result of failed planning and irresponsible budgeting on the part of the administration - most notably the use of one-shot revenues, overestimations in sales tax and methane plant revenues and a campaign-happy tax cut just last year."
The full statement to the press can be found online at www.observertoday.com with this story.
In the coming year, the party leaders said the minority caucus will continue to push for common sense reforms which strengthen the tax base and make government run more efficiently - such as reducing six of the legislature seats and consolidating services.
Comments on this article may be sent to editorial@observertoday.com
