GOSHEN – The state Division of Budget has approved the Orange County Government Efficiency Plan, securing property tax rebates for residents in 2016 as part of the state’s Property Tax Freeze Credit program, County Executive Steven Neuhaus said Friday.
The property tax freeze credit program is a three-year, $1.5 billion program that provides rebate checks to homeowners for growth in property taxes. It was established in 2014 and encourages local governments and school districts to generate long-term tax relief for taxpayers by sharing services, consolidating or merging services and demonstrating and implementing operational efficiencies. Neuhaus said the use of fund balance has been reduced as has spending and the size of the county workforce under his administration.
Homeowners can receive refunds for both municipal government property and school taxes in 2015 if each was under the tax cap. Under Neuhaus, he said the county has cut expenses by millions and followed the tax cap law for the second year in a row.
