Chemung County Executive Tom Santulli unveiled his proposed 2017 Budget today which will hold the line on the County property tax rate for the twelfth straight year.
Santulli’s 2017 Budget proposal recommends a General Fund Tax Levy of $29,146,582 is an increase of .5% over the 2016 tax levy of $29,012,588. Further, this budget proposal recommends total net appropriations of $188,866,724 for the fiscal year that commences on January 1, 2017. This represents an increase of $7,903,368 from the $180,963,356 approved by the Legislature for the current fiscal year. The Budget is now subject to review and approval by the County Legislature.
“It is with great pleasure that I report to you that the 2017 County Budget maintains the tax rate at the current $6.86 per thousand of assessed valuation,” Santulli said. “The budget that I submit to you holds the line on spending on all programs that are under our control and not impacted by the mandates of the State of New York or the federal government. As I have stated in every budget that I have submitted to the Legislature over the last 16 years, less than 20 percent of our budget costs are under our control. This fact is the reason that the New York State Association of Counties continues to demand that our State government provide additional mandate relief. Without these mandate reforms, it is only a matter of time before all counties will experience extreme financial distress and eventual insolvency,”
Santulli added.
The County Legislature has scheduled workshop sessions to review the proposed 2017 Budget on November 14th following the Full Legislature meeting which begins at 7pm in the 5th floor Legislative Chambers of the Hazlett Building. The public is welcome as well as at the formal Public Hearing to be held on the Budget at 7:00 PM on November 21st.
There will be a special meeting of the Legislature on November 28th following the Committee Meetings to adopt the 2017 County Budget.
The Proposed Budget is available for viewing in the Legislative Chambers and on the County website beginning Monday, November 14, 2016.
Click here to view the 2017 Proposed Chemung County Budget.
Click here to view the County Executive’s Budget Message.
Click here to view the press conference presentation.
*NOTE: The “full value tax rate” is the average of the rates of the city of Elmira and the eleven towns within Chemung County. Final rates are contingent upon action by the Legislature in amending the proposed budget, state equalization rates, special district charges, etc.