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Taxes dip as Allegany County lawmakers OK $133.7 million budget OLEAN TIMES HERALD 716-372-3121 • BRADFORD PUBLISHING COMPANY
By BOB CLARK BELMONT — Allegany County taxes will drop slightly next year under a $133.7 million budget given the OK on Monday. The Allegany County Board of Legislators voted unanimously on the budget at the board’s last meeting of November after giving the OK to some last-minute changes. The legislators voted 14-0 in favor. Legislator Phil Stockin, R-Caneadea, was not present for the vote. Officials had until Dec. 20 to complete the budget process. The approved property tax levy is $29.3 million, about $7,400 lower than the amount collected in 2019. The base tax rate, which varies across the county based on equalization rates in the 29 towns, is $14.65 per $1,000 of taxable value, down from $14.79 in 2019. “This year is the 10th year in a row,” said Board Chairman Curt Crandall, R-Belfast, of a lower
Photo by Bob Clark Allegany County Legislator David Decker, R-Cuba, speaks on Monday during the board’s vote on the 2020 county budget. The board unanimously approved the $133.7 million budget.
tax rate. “There is also a decrease in the tax levy again.” He lauded the hard work of county employees, as well as legislators, in putting together the budget and hashing out the details. He noted multiple Committee of the Whole meetings attended by all the legislators were necessary “to roll up our sleeves.” “This wasn’t just a quick roll-call budget vote,” he added. “It’s not a political point to
have 10 years of the needle pointing in the right direction.” Legislator David Decker, R-Cuba, noted that the state is projecting a $6.1 billion shortfall in 2020. “I’m afraid the shoe is going to drop soon,” Decker said. “If it wasn’t for our sound footing, I don’t think we could handle it.” He joked that budget work for 2021 will likely begin on Jan. 2 at the board’s
reorganizational meeting — about 38 hours into 2020. The last-minute changes to the budget on Monday included $128,000 in net cuts to expenses, the largest being a $125,000 decrease in projected jail overtime payments. Another cut came to the contingent line, dropping $85,000 off the proposed amount to $675,000. However, one adjustment included an additional $85,000 to staff in the district
attorney’s office. In addition, almost $353,000 in revenue adjustments were made. The largest increase was to projected sales taxes, with officials hoping to collect $21.12 million off of its share of the 8.5% sales tax rate levied on many purchases, including online transactions. Compared to 2019, the tentative budget filed Oct. 16 shows the largest spending increase in spending comes from juvenile
detention. The 2019 budget included no funds for juvenile detention, but a $9.18 million contract is included in the 2020 budget. The increase comes as the state’s Raise the Age law, signed in 2018, requires counties to house inmates under the age of 18 in facilities separate from adult inmates. The county plans to contract out housing to an out-ofcounty facility. Most of that expense will be offset by major increases in state aid. The budget calls for $25.8 million in state aid, up two-thirds from the 2019 budget. Overall, revenue outside of property taxes is expected to rise about 12% to $98.8 million. Officials also plan to use $5.04 million in fund balance to offset increasing expenses — about 17 percent less than in 2019 — with $4.75 million for the general fund. The budget is available for review by contacting Clerk of the Board Brenda Rigby Riehle at rigbyba@alleganyco. com or at (585) 2689220.
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