Schenectady County budget plan to include $86 tax increase

Share on Facebook

Save

County residents will pay an average of $86 more in property taxes next year under a $279 million budget the Schenectady County Legislature was ready to adopt Thursday night.

The vote was anticipated late Thursday to fall mostly along party lines, 10-5. Party leaders said the Republicans would vote against it and all but Democrat Martin Finn would vote in favor. Finn, D-Niskayuna, is running for the seat in District 3, representing Niskayuna and Glenville.

He said more needs to be done to reduce property taxes. His Republican opponent is Tim Macfarlane.

The tax increase is based on the average of rates for all municipalities in the county. Residents will see their actual tax bills after rates are set by individual towns, villages and the city in January.

The 2009 budget carries a tax levy increase of 8.9 percent. It had been 12.9 percent, but majority Democrats reduced it by using the fund balance, making cuts and budgeting savings in employee health care costs.

Democrats are applying $1.7 million of the fund balance, or surplus, for property tax reduction, $1.4 million more than recommended by County Manager Kathleen Rooney in her tentative $279.9 million budget.

Democrats also eliminated an $85,000 grant to the Chamber of Schenectady County and expect to pay $835,000 less in medical costs for employees. This is in addition to the $2.6 million in health care savings already achieved in the 2009 budget.

The 2009 budget cuts $2.12 million in contract services with outside vendors.

In addition, Democrats eliminated one position from the budget, bringing to 51 the total positions eliminated in 2009 for a savings of $2.7 million. Since 2004, the county has cut a total of 250 positions from its work force, or 11 percent of the total, for a savings of $10 million.

The 2009 budget decreased 0.34 percent from the 2008 budget with the final changes. Since 2000, county budgets have increased on average 2.94 percent annually, or less than the cost of living, according to information provided by county officials. Their figures also show that the county budget grew from $201 million in appropriations in 2000 to $250 million in appropriations in 2009. The totals do not include sales tax revenues distributed to municipalities, which will total around $29 million in 2009.

Three of four Republicans — with Joseph Suhrada of Rotterdam the exception — supported the Democratic majority’s amendments, which reduced the projected tax levy 4 percent.

Democrats were expected to reject the Republican package of 39 amendments, confirming Minority Leader Robert Farley’s prediction. Farley later expected to offer other amendments to eliminate positions in the clerk of the legislature office and the positions of special assistant to the commissioner of social services and director of communications.

Majority Leader Gary Hughes said Democrats carefully reviewed the Republican amendments.

“These are not proven and it is not prudent to adopt them,” he said.

As part of the budget, top managers in the county will receive raises of 3 percent, totaling $250,000. The raises mirror those given to unionized workers through newly signed contracts.