• Eliminated, under the suggestion of the Commissioner of Public Works, the position of Office Manager for Public Works Highway Division, which will have a savings of $64,559 a year.
• Adjusted the Discretionary Salary Savings to a conservative level, allowing for continued service with out resorting to property tax increases. 
• Held the line on taxes with a conservative increase of 2.49%.
• Brought the salaries of our Fire Investigators up to par with the industry standard. This position requires working in dangerous situations, and requires a considerable amount of expertise, not only for conducting investigations, but also for testifying in court.
• Increased funding for the Four County Library System. This contract agency provides a number of services to libraries throughout Broome County, and many popular services directly to residents throughout the County such as the bookmobile / cybermobile. Through their efforts and recent technological upgrades, the Four County Library System will provide additional services which will result in tax payer savings beginning in 2009 and continuing indefinitely. These efforts and upgrades will increase the efficiency of libraries in Broome County through initiatives that enhance shared services and programs.
• Funded the preservation of Broome County's history by increasing funding for the Broome County Historical Society.
• Funded educational outreach programming in the areas of family and youth development, agricultural profitability, nutrition and food safety, environmental protection, and labor force enhancement by reinstating funding for Cornell Cooperative Extension of Broome County.
• Supplemented funding for Broome County Probation which had been cut by the New York State Department of Probation, thus preventing a loss of services for this essential department, which provides lower cost alternatives for area judges when dealing with supervision of pre-trial detainees and sentenced offenders.

• Actively pursue economic development within Broome County to enhance the County's tax base and employment opportunities.
• Carefully scrutinize all county spending with the specific goal of holding the line on taxes.
• Continue enhancing county-owned property management by encouraging the aggressive marketing and selling of land acquired through tax foreclosure, for the greatest benefit to the County, so those properties may be returned to the tax rolls.

________________________________________________________________________

Review of proposed budget; capital program and message.
The County Legislature, or a committee designated by that body, shall review the proposed budget, the capital program and the budget message as submitted by the County Executive and shall file with the Clerk of the County Legislature its report, including any recommendations proposed therein. Such report shall become a public record in the office of the Clerk of the County Legislature, and copies thereof shall be made available by such Clerk for distribution.

2010 Budget Review Schedule

Public hearing.
Not later than the 20th day of October, the Clerk of the County Legislature shall cause to be published in the official newspapers and such other newspapers as may be designated by the County Legislature a notice of the place and time, not less than seven (7) days after such publication nor later than the 1st day of November, at which time the County Legislature will hold a public hearing on the proposed budget, the capital program, the budget message submitted by the County Executive and any report, if submitted, by the County Legislature or a committee designated by that body.

Adoption of budget.
(A) After the conclusion of the public hearing, the County Legislature may strike items of appropriation or anticipated revenues from the tentative budget or reduce items therein, excepting appropriations required by law or for debt service. It may change items in such budget, provided that such changes are stated separately and distinctly.

(B) If the budget, as submitted by the County Executive, is adopted by resolution of the County Legislature with no changes, such budget shall be deemed to have been adopted without any further action by the County Executive. If, however, the budget as passed by the County Legislature contains any changes, the same shall be presented by the Clerk of the County Legislature to the County Executive not later than the 15th day of November for his or her examination and consideration. If the County Executive approves all the changes, he or she shall affix his or her signature to a statement thereof and return the budget, together with such statement, to the Clerk of the County Legislature, and the budget, including the changes as part thereof, shall then be deemed to be adopted.

(C) If the budget, with any changes, is not returned by the County Executive to the Clerk of the County Legislature with her objections on or before the 19th day of November, it shall be deemed adopted.

(D) If the County Executive objects to any one (1) or more of the changes, he or she shall append to the budget a statement of the changes to which he or she objects, setting forth his or her reasons therefor, and shall, not later than the 19th day of November, return the budget with his or her objections to the Clerk of the County Legislature, who shall present the same to the County Legislature at a meeting to be held not later than the 25th day of November. The County Legislature shall thereupon enter the objections upon its journal and proceed to reconsider the changes to which objection is made by the County Executive. If, upon such reconsideration, three-fifths (3/5) of the whole number of members of the County Legislature vote to approve such changes, or any of them, the budget, with the changes so approved, together with any changes not so objected to by the County Executive, shall be deemed adopted. If the Legislature fails to act on or to override such objections by said three-fifths vote on or before the 27th day of November, the objections shall become final and deemed adopted without the changes objected to by the County Executive.

(E) If a budget has not been adopted as herein provided on or before the 27th day of November, then the proposed budget as submitted by the County Executive, plus all changes as to which he or she has failed to object, shall be the budget for the ensuing fiscal year.

(F) If any limitation date mentioned in this Article falls on a holiday, Saturday or Sunday, then any time limitations required herein shall be extended to the next business day of the county.