Republicans say Democrats Inflated Medicaid Numbers

By Jen Markham

Rochester, NY – Republicans in the Monroe County Legislature said Thursday that Democrats inflated the financial impact of the County's Medicaid Swap by 800 percent.

On Monday, Democrats released an analysis projecting a $7 million loss for the county in 2008, because of the majority's decision to opt for the 40 percent sales tax intercept, last fall, as the method of paying for Medicaid. That's as opposed to a tax cap, which the rest of the counties in New York opted to use.

But today Majority Leader Dan Quatro says the minority's analysis, done by Democratic Legislator Paul Haney, has a $6.2 million-dollar error.

"Despite having served as the county finance director for four years under the County Executive Tom Frye, and knowing firsthand about sales tax collections, legislator Haney conveniently added over $15 million in sales tax receipts that actually counted towards last year, 2007."

Legislature President Wayne Zyra says the difference lies in a $15.6 million sales tax distribution made by the state in December 2007, that appeared on the county's books on January 2nd, 2008.

But Democratic Legislator Ted O'Brien says his caucus' analysis wasn't based on the county's books.

"We did not base them on sales tax collections and the sales tax reports that the county provides. We got our information directly from the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, and so if the county believes that there are sales tax receipts in 2008 that shouldn't be subject to the Medicaid intercept, then they have a problem with the state of New York."

O'Brien adds the Democrats stand by their numbers.

The county's Budget Director Scott Adair identified the discrepancy between the Democrats analysis and the county's figures in a memo to Quatro.

Quatro says even if the county is paying more money because of the Medicaid intercept, he still thinks it's a good idea.