Human Services Committee approves year-end budget reconciliations for aging, mental health and public health

The Chautauqua County Human Services Committee on a February meeting approved a slate of year‑end budget reconciliation resolutions for several Human Services divisions, voting to adjust 2025 appropriations and revenue lines to match actual program spending.

Dana Corwin, director of the Chautauqua County Office for Aging Services, told the committee the Office for Aging’s reconciliation requests are budget‑neutral: increasing appropriation accounts by $366,988, decreasing other appropriation accounts by $124,370 and increasing revenue accounts by $242,618 to align expenditures with newly received program revenue and purchases such as interactive boards for community rooms and a replacement vehicle for the volunteer transportation program. "We're requesting the following adjustments to the '25 budget," Corwin said during the presentation.

Kim Latone, fiscal supervisor for the Department of Mental Hygiene, presented a smaller reconciliation request to reclassify and shift about $14,000 across benefit, equipment, personal services and contractual accounts so departmental budgets more closely match 2025 activity; the committee approved that adjustment.

Blake Erick, director of administrative services, presented a larger reconciliation for Mental Hygiene and Social Services that requests $1.3 million of fund‑balance use to cover safety‑net increases. Erick said the department increased appropriations by about $2.7 million and received roughly $700,000 in offsetting revenue, leaving a roughly $2.0 million gap to be addressed with fund balance. He told members another reconciliation likely will follow in March after final accruals and year‑end accounting.

Diana Songer, deputy director of finance for Human Services, and Lacey Wilson, public health director, described the public health division’s reconciliation request: a proposed $896,645 draw on fund balance; increased appropriations of $1,769,605; decreased appropriations of $508,519; and increased revenue of $364,441. The largest driver was higher contractual costs for preschool services after five new center‑based classrooms opened midyear, shifting children from in‑home to more expensive center‑based services and increasing transportation costs. Wilson said the preschool classrooms are created under state Education Law Article 44.10 and that the county is often notified after districts open classrooms. "They work with the school districts. They also set the rates for those school districts," Wilson said, explaining why forecasting the costs is difficult.

Public comment and committee questions focused on the drivers of cost increases (equipment purchases, added classrooms, staffing vacancies and jail medical contractuals) and on forecasting challenges when state and school‑district decisions affect county costs. Mike Falk, the county’s chief medical officer, described medication costs in jail treatment programs as a significant driver in the county’s contractual spending, saying the county at times has paid for long‑acting injectable medications at roughly $1,500 per month per person to ensure continuity of care while operational staff constraints persist.

Each of the budget amendments presented at the meeting was approved by voice vote, with members responding "Aye." Several presenters and committee members noted that some numbers in the materials had been clarified during discussion and that final accruals will be reflected in an expected March reconciliation.

The committee adjourned after completing the scheduled items.