Joseph Spector

Albany Bureau Chief

ALBANY - Monroe County ranked as one of the county governments with the highest level of "fiscal stress" in New York state, and was one of only three counties to have received that ranking in each of the last three years, a report Tuesday said.

State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli released his annual Fiscal Stress Monitoring System to determine which local governments have troubled finances.

Fourteen governments were listed in the second highest category of “moderate fiscal stress,” but no others in Monroe County were deemed to have financial woes.

“The challenges facing local governments across the state are real,” DiNapoli said in a statement. “Our monitoring system has shown that for those localities experiencing financial hardship, it can be difficult to overcome challenges that have been years in the making."

The Comptroller's Office scores nearly 2,300 local governments in New York each year on their financial outlook as a way to guide them in their budgeting — such as looking at their fund balances and operating deficits.

Municipalities have noted increased pressure in recent years because of the state's property tax cap and limited growth in revenue from sales and property taxes.

About one third of all municipalities listed as stressed were located on Long Island and the Hudson Valley.

Only three counties — Franklin, Monroe and Rockland counties — were in significant fiscal stress for all three years.

Monroe County Executive Cheryl Dinolfo said the report illustrates the problems local governments are having to pay for local programs and services.

"The Comptroller’s report released today shows what we already know — local municipalities continue to struggle under the weight of unfunded state mandates," she said in a statement.

"As county executive, my focus continues to be improving our community’s economy and increasing available jobs for the residents of Monroe County while maintaining my commitment to not raise property taxes."

The Democratic Minority Leader in the County Legislature, Cindy Kaleh of Rochester, had a different view.

"For years, Monroe County has been plugging deficits by raising fees, selling off assets and deferring pension costs," Kaleh said in a statement. "These short-term maneuvers are piling up and hurting taxpayers."

JSpector@Gannett.com

Joseph Spector is chief of USA TODAY Network's Albany Bureau.