Amidst stormy weather and Primary results yesterday, Broome County Executive Debbie Preston proposed a much different budget from what she presented to legislators last year. While she and legislators were able to hold the line on taxes in 2013, Preston is proposing a 2.97 percent property tax increase for 2014. Preston said she’s proposing the increase because of rising costs associated with the Broome County Transit System, the Broome County Correctional Facility and the county-owned Willow Point Nursing Home. She also attributes the need for more money to new costs associated with President Obama’s Affordable Healthcare Law and growing contractual obligations to employee unions. According to the county executive, employee salaries and benefits have more than doubled in the past 20 years, from $65 million in 1994 to an estimated $134 million this year. Preston said she has already embarked on negotiations with two unions whose contracts recently expired, and will take the same approach with six other groups whose contracts will expire during the next two years.
