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Human Services Committee approves 2024 budget amendment for Department of Social Services
Summary
The Chautauqua County Human Services Committee approved a year-end amendment to the 2024 Department of Social Services budget, increasing appropriations and recognizing additional revenue while authorizing a modest use of fund balance to cover shortfalls driven by rising casework and mandated foster care rate increases.
The Chautauqua County Human Services Committee on March (meeting date not specified) approved a resolution to amend the 2024 Department of Social Services budget for year-end reconciliations.
Deputy Director of Finance for Human Services Diana Songer presented the amendment, saying the county is requesting an increased use of fund balance of $175,012 and making net changes to the 2024 budget: increased appropriations totaling $4,205,451, decreased appropriations totaling $812,510 and increased revenue accounts totaling $3,217,929. "The increases in appropriation accounts are due to increase in cases, resulting in increased expenses which are offset by the corresponding revenues," Songer said.
Songer and committee members identified several drivers of the overages: software and contract payments coded to equipment lines, higher accounting and related services costs tied to rate increases and increased applications, and a rise in emergency housing costs linked to more homeless cases (from 18 in December 2023 to 188 in December 2024). She also described changes in child care eligibility that increased child care assistant cases by 182 between October 2023 and February 2025, and family assistance caseload increases from 734 in 2023 to 763 in 2024. The committee heard that counties were required by a state ruling to pay foster parents the maximum state aid rate, with two increases averaging 22% in April 2023 and 18% in July 2024, which expanded foster care costs for counties.
Legislator Mansory asked whether the county expects homeless numbers to fall; Songer replied there is no current sign of decline and mitigation efforts continue. After discussion, the committee voted by voice and the chair recorded the item as approved.
The resolution notes the county offset most increased appropriations with additional revenues where available and used a limited amount of fund balance to cover remaining shortfalls.
Committee leaders said the increases reflect mandated services and unpredictable caseload changes, and that future budget cycles will continue to grapple with those pressures.
