ERIE COUNTY
County raises fees to balance 2009 budget
The Erie County Legislature on Thursday raised fees charged by the county medical examiner’s office and by the county-run health clinics as lawmakers inched toward balancing a budget for 2009.
Legislators figured the fee increases approved so far will inflict little pain on taxpayers. Fees charged by the medical examiner are generally paid by other counties that turn to Erie County for autopsy services or special medical tests or by lawyers seeking documents or reports for their lawsuits.
Lawmakers also expect that a patient’s health insurance plan will soften the $20 increase in the cost of an initial visit at a county-run health clinic, which will go to $55 in 2009. The cost of a follow-up visit would also rise by $20 next year, to $45.
County Executive Chris Collins had proposed those increases as a way to balance the budget he presented for 2009. Together they raise about $40,000.
Collins also assumed lawmakers would go along with his call to increase fees charged at county-owned parks and at the two county-run golf courses, to raise another $150,000.
But legislators were not ready to raise golf fees and parks fees Thursday, and they were set aside — for the moment.
Legislature Chairwoman Lynn M. Marinelli, D-Town of Tonawanda, said they will be voted on as the budget is adopted.
The Finance, Management and Budget Committee will finish examining the budget in a meeting set for 10 a. m. Wednesday.
Then the committee will present the proposal and any amendments to the full Legislature, which meets only as a budget formality at 12:15 p. m. that day.
The Legislature expects to adopt a budget for 2009 in a session that begins at 1 p. m. Dec. 1.
Most fees charged at the county-owned Grover Cleveland and Elma Meadows golf courses would go up about 10 percent or more next year if at least 10 of the 15 lawmakers go along.
Greens fees at Grover Cleveland, for example, would go from $14 to $16 on weekdays and $16 to $18 on weekends and holidays.
Greens fees at Elma Meadows would also rise by $2, to $18 during the week and to $21 during weekends and holidays.
Also rising would be the cost of cart rentals; season passes, including those for senior citizens and youths; tee time reservation permits; and the twilight greens fees charged after 5:30 p. m.
The rents for small, medium and large shelters at county-owned parks would each rise by $10, bringing the price to $60, $85 and $110.
The cost to rent buildings would rise by $25, and the Emery Ski Lodge, the county’s most expensive park building to rent, would go from $400 to $450.
Republican and Democratic lawmakers voted, 13-2, to raise the fees charged by the medical examiner and by the county’s health clinics.
As for property taxes, Collins proposed a tax rate increase of 3.6 percent, which he said adds $18 a year to the county government tax bill on a $100,000 home.
