NORWICH – Faced with a growing number of state mandates and limited finances, the Chenango County Department of Social Services is scrutinizing its ways of operation for the coming years, according to the department’s recently released annual report.

The report, presented at the May meeting of the county Board of Supervisor, outlines challenges of the department over the last year and how administrators intend to address future issues, primarily the cap on Medicaid and New York State’s takeover of the Medicaid system.

The county footed more than $10.1 million in Medicaid expenses in 2014 making it the most costly unfunded mandate shouldered by local taxpayers.

But even with the state’s phased takeover of the Medicaid system – which led to a 14 percent decrease in Medicaid caseloads (from 5,318 in 2013 to 4,600 in 2014) – the fiscal hurdles aren’t going away, said DSS Commissioner Bette Osborne. The department’s making adjustments to bear the financial burden, including cost reductions through staff reduction by attrition, modernization of technology, and upgrading processes.

“It isn’t about doing more with less. It’s about getting the most out of what we have, providing the mandated services in an efficient and respectful manner, and balancing our budget while helping the county stay with their tax cap,” Osborne told county board members. “Instead of being defeated by this, I try to get my staff to see it as a challenge. We’re going to need to streamline our operation. We’re going to need to look at and upgrade our technology to make things run smoother and faster, find improvements to processes by looking to see where things are overlapping and do away with that type of problem, and look at cooperative agreements between outside agencies.”

DSS also saw a sizable increase in temporary assistance cases last year. Case numbers jumped more than 21 percent, from 339 in 2013 to 433 in 2014. Most of that increase is due to a 41 percent rise in Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) cases which are federally reimbursed. However, the county does front 71 percent the cost of safety net cases.

While the department saw an overall decrease in emergency service screenings to the tune of nearly 16 percent, the county mirrors a nationwide increase in SNAP (Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, formerly “food stamps”). SNAP caseloads have increased by nearly 160 cases over the last five years, but still remain between 3,000 and 4,000 annually.

Meanwhile, total annual child support collections dropped from $5.46 million in 2013 to $5.21 million in 2014. According to the report, annual child support collections averaged approximately $5.6 million for the past four years. Osborne said the recent decline may be attributed to a factors such as unemployment benefits ending for some recipients, a drop off in Medicaid referrals during the state takeover of Medicaid, and an extended period of time without a support magistrate due to retirement.