GOSHEN – The $813 million 2022 Orange County budget was approved by lawmakers on Thursday, but not before a few squabbled over whose idea it was to cut $2.5 million.
Democratic Minority Leader Michael Paduch said County Executive Steven Neuhaus had no business proposing the reduction when it was up to the legislature at that point. Republican Kevin Hine said the legislators had planned on doing that.
Republican Jimmy O’Donnell said it didn’t really matter who came up with the idea.
“Most of here did not know that the county exec was going to come and speak to us before that vote, so he basically beat us to the punch and made the recommendation ahead of us,” he said. “But, at any rate, the taxpayers won.”
Increased sales tax revenue helped keep the tax rate down going into 2022.
