On Tuesday night the Onondaga County Legislature approved what several members called the most difficult budget in years. The budget vote was contentious at times but behind the scenes negotiations that heated up in recent days helped solve some of the most controversial budget line items.
The most delicate compromise may involve Air 1. The County Sheriff's helicopter received approval to keep flying for another six months but with conditions. The Sheriff will have to establish a foundation that can solicit funds. The Sheriff's office will also try to set up a way to bill insurance companies for medical flights. John Balloni estimated that could bring in hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.
"The long run is sustainability of the program. Quite frankly it's too valuable of a program to have up on the chopping block year after year,” said Balloni. “We need to find a way to be self sustaining and to build this program to what it should be."
Funding for the arts wasn't so lucky. An amendment that would have given more than $500,000 to local arts groups was voted down 16 to 3. Now organizations like the Syracuse Opera will have to go to the cultural resources trust and hope for funding.
"What's unknown to all of us who are on the list of organizations that have been eliminated or cut, we don't know what the process is for funding from the Cultural Resources Trust,” said Cathy Wolff from the Syracuse Opera. Our fear is that the funding that is so necessary to all of us may not come through."
The legislature made around $45 million dollars in changes and cuts to the County Executive’s budget. She will have until October 20th to veto parts of the approved budget if she wants to.
