MONTICELLO – With no discussion and on a unanimous vote, the Sullivan County Legislature adopted the 2019 county budget.
Because of the improved economy, taxes will drop next year, a point noted by legislator Ira Steingart.
“I’d like to thank the staff on a wonderful job in doing the budget this year,” Steingart said. “This is the seventh year that I am up and the first that our taxes are going down and I think it was done realizing things are getting better and trying to correct some things that needed fixing yet being frugal so the taxpayers can handle the burden.”
As proposed by County Manager Josh Potosek, the $235 million budget would reduce the tax levy by about 1.6 percent even with 4.5 percent increase in proposed spending.
“Our Division of Management and Budget, which has worked for months to develop a responsible and efficient budget, was able to lower the appropriations for 2019 by $42,947, bringing the total appropriations in the 2019 Budget to $235,286,181,” said Potosek. “The reduction was the result of a savings in our health insurance rates.”
The Solid Waste Access Fee, charged on every County tax bill to pay for debt on the now-closed Landfill, will also decline. Commercial payers will see their rate drop from $300 to $200 a year, while residential payers will have their $120 rate fall to $80 a year.
During a final monthly business meeting for the year, the legislature also approved three bond resolutions:
$2 million for reconstruction of roads throughout the county
$1.86 million for improvements to various county buildings including the government center.
$950,000 to purchase a parcel of land and the Stoloff Building, adjacent to the current county jail and courthouse, for use by the district attorney.
Potosek said approval of the bonds is an authorization only, not a commitment to spend the full amount if not needed.
The two employee contracts approved in executive committee earlier this week – Laborers Local 17 and Teamsters – were formally approved by the legislature.
