PLATTSBURGH — Adjusted bills from the state for youth services — some going back seven years — are hitting counties hard.

Clinton, Essex and Franklin counties have each had to come up with significant amounts to pay their share to the state’s Office of Children and Family Services.

The bills stem from the counties sending troubled youths to under-utilized state facilities at a high cost.

Clinton County was given a bill of about $200,000, Franklin County is looking at around $172,000, and Essex County must pay about $185,000.

“We’ve always had some kind of retroactive adjustments in bills, but nothing like this,” Clinton County Commissioner of Social Services Jay T. LePage said.

“Hopefully, they will do it right from now on.”

FEWER SENT

The problem is due to fewer youths being sent to state facilities.

The cost of the system is based on occupancies in facilities, and numbers have gone way down since 2000.

The facilities in question are places such as Adirondack Youth Center in Schuyler Falls, where troubled kids go for rehabilitation and other services.

Ed Borges, spokesperson for the Office of Children and Family Services, said 2,223 youths were in state facilities in 2000 but only 958 now.

Some facilities have closed in recent years, but 511 empty beds remain.

“The cost of running these facilities is per bed, and it’s between $140,000 and $200,000 per bed,” Borges said.

The counties and state share the cost of each youth evenly.