GOSHEN – The $827 million 2022 Orange County budget proposed by County Executive Steven Neuhaus includes a property tax rate of $3.506, which is lower than it was both last year and in 2014, when he took office.
The county will use $9.9 million of the unassigned fund balance, compared to $13.8 million used in 2021. The total fund balance in 2020 was $50.6 million.
The spending plan includes $4.2 million for hotel occupancy tax, up from $1.1 million in 2014.
The county received over $74.7 million from the federal government as part of the American Rescue Plan. It will use the money to solidify long-term financial health and add to the workforce.
There are 107 projects in the county’s 2022 capital plan including a new medical examiner’s office, body cameras for sheriff’s deputies and probation officers, investments at the Orange County Airport and the Valley View Center for Nursing Care and Rehabilitation, and new cybersecurity/IT projects.
“We have faced significant challenges and unknowns during the COVID-19 pandemic, but I have made it my priority to stabilize and strengthen finances, without sacrificing the many important services that county government provides to our residents,” Neuhaus said. “I am proud of the hard-working county employees during these unprecedented times, and that independent auditors and Moody’s have validated the financial decisions we have made.”
“Over the last two years, County Executive Neuhaus has faced challenges with the COVID-19 pandemic and unfunded mandates,” said Legislature Chairwoman Katie Bonelli. “The county executive has still proposed a balanced budget that maintains essential services to residents and is fiscally responsible. We look forward to the legislative review process and the adoption of the 2022 budget.”
