Department of State
The enacted budget makes the following changes to the Executive Budget (analysis as of 4/2/07).
Adds $10.152 million to the All Funds appropriation; which includes a $26.5 million decrease in the General Fund; and a $36.65 million increase in the Special Revenue-Other appropriations for this department.
Adds $9.152 million to the nonpersonal service appropriation ($8.53 million for fringe benefits and $618,000 for indirect costs) in the Business and Licensing Services Program and shifted funding from Special Revenue Other to the General Fund. None of these changes should affect staffing for this program
Adds a new $1 million appropriation for a Northway Travel Safety Program. This program’s funding is for procedures and actions to remediate the absence of cellular telephone coverage on I-87 North, and activities to erect cell towers in un-served areas of I-87 North.
The Senate recommends (analysis as of March 16, 2007):
Adds $10 million to create the Interstate Travel Safety Program;
Adds $27.5 million to the special revenue other (SRO) appropriation in the Business and Licensing Services Program which offsets the $27.5 million cut in the program’s General Fund appropriation. $18.2 million of the SRO appropriation is allocated to personal service funding which would support the Executive’s proposal for 7 additional FTEs.
The Executive Budget recommends (analysis as of January 31, 2007):
A FY 2007-08 workforce of 912. This is an increase of 39 from the adjusted FTE level for FY 2006-07. The following chart identifies adjustments in current fiscal years FTEs along with the recommended differences in FY 2007-08 FTEs by program (if the FTE’s are the same the program is not listed):
Program
FY 2006-07 Adjustment
FY 2007-08 Difference
Licensing Services
0
7
Local Government and Community Services
0
32
State Ethics Commission
3
0
The total appropriation for Personal Service is $39.2 million, an increase of 15.6%.
An All Funds decrease of -$2.3 million (-3.4%) from SFY 2006-07.
Funding for the Licensing Services Program will be from the General Fund rather than Special Revenue Other. It is unclear how 7 additional positions and contractual increases can be supported by an overall appropriation which is $8.2 million less than last year and a personal service increase of only about $592,000. This issue should be clarified at statewide labor management. The Senate attributes the $6.5 million of the decrease in appropriations to elimination of legislative additions in the SFY 2006-07 budget. It is unclear if there were disbursements on these appropriations in the current year. They also identify $4.6 million for legal services for the poor which is transferred to the Interest on Lawyer Account in the SFY 2007-08 budget.
According to the Assembly analysis, the new FTEs are related to newly enacted statutory mandates including fire safety and training, cemetery regulation, and mandates arising from the Oceans and Great Lakes Program. The remaining 13 FTEs are related to the Brownfields Program and the Shared Municipal Services Incentive Grant program. The purpose of these new positions and their funding source should be clarified at statewide labor management
A decrease of 11 in the estimated number of employees employed under consulting contracts for a total of 39. The average annual cost per contract employee is estimated at $75,845, a 19% increase from SFY2006-07. The purpose of these contract employees and whether their work could be performed by State employees should be discussed at statewide labor management.
According to Assembly analysis, $1 million increase in non-personal services in the Administrative program is related to the anticipated relocation of DOS to One Commerce Plaza, and $354,000 in personal services is also associated with this move. Identifies $335,000 in personal services related to 3 new FTEs added in 2006-07 for ethics training.
Proposes legislation to permanently authorize the Secretary of State to charge increased fees for expedited handling of documents.
Proposes legislation to redirect fees, fines, penalties and assessments of the Department of State’s Business and Licensing Services Account to the General Fund. This will provide the General Fund with an additional $44 million in SFY 2007-08 and an additional $26 million annually thereafter.
Department of State Program Details-State Operations Enacted Proposed Enacted Change in Percent Program 2006-07 Budget 2007-08 Budget 2007-08 Budget Appropriation Change All Funds $68,130,000 $65,819,000 $75,971,000 $7,841,000 11.5% General Fund $17,030,000 $49,574,000 $23,073,000 $6,043,000 35.5% Special Revenue-Federal $11,402,000 $11,402,000 $11,402,000 $0 0.0% Special Revenue-Other $39,698,000 $4,843,000 $41,496,000 $1,798,000 4.5% Personal Services $33,965,000 $39,253,000 $39,253,000 $5,288,000 15.6% Contractual Services $13,901,100 $6,434,100 Administration $7,722,000 $9,126,000 $9,126,000 $1,404,000 18.2% Personal Service $4,122,000 $4,476,000 $4,476,000 $354,000 8.6% Regular $4,429,000 $4,429,000 Temporary Service $41,000 $41,000 Holiday/overtime compensation $6,000 $6,000 Nonpersonal Service $3,600,000 $4,650,000 $4,650,000 $1,050,000 29.2% Supplies and materials $646,000 $646,000 Travel $58,500 $58,500 Contractual Services $3,231,500 $3,231,500 Equipment $714,000 $714,000 Business & Licnsng Svc $35,703,000 $27,501,000 $36,653,000 $950,000 2.7% Personal Service $18,171,000 $0 Regular $18,171,000 $0 Nonpersonal Service $9,330,000 $0 Supplies and materials $1,047,000 $0 Travel $515,000 $0 Contractual Services $7,467,000 $0 Equipment $301,000 $0 Special Revenue-Other (SRO) $35,703,000 $0 $36,653,000 $950,000 2.7% Business & License Svcs (SRO) $35,703,000 $0 $36,653,000 $950,000 2.7% Personal Service $17,579,000 $0 $18,171,000 $592,000 3.4% Regular $0 $18,171,000 Nonpersonal Service $17,849,000 $0 $18,482,000 $633,000 3.5% Supplies and materials $0 $1,047,000 Travel $0 $515,000 Contractual Services $0 $7,467,000 Equipment $0 $301,000 Fringe Benefits $8,053,000 $0 $8,534,000 $481,000 6.0% Indirect Costs $584,000 $0 $618,000 $34,000 5.8% Maintenance Undistributed $275,000 $0 $0 ($275,000) -100.0%