By Doug La Rocque
The County Budget unveiled on Friday afternoon, October 19, by Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin holds the line on taxes, while increasing county spending by $70,000. The total budget comes in at just under $347 million. The County Executive said the proposal maintains, and in some areas increases, the level of county services.
This makes the eighth consecutive budget to remain under the tax cap.
Mr. McLaughlin told those gathered in the County Legislative Chambers, “during the previous months, we have applied time-honored fiscally responsible, common-sense fiscal and budget principles in areas of county government. We have earned some positive results during the current fiscal year, and some of those results are reflected in the 2019 budget.”
He also expressed a degree of optimism over the County’s future and economy, pointing in particular to Amazon’s decision to locate a distribution center in Schodack that could mean as many as 800 jobs, as well as increases in retail activity, particular in the southern half of the county. His budget proposal reflects this, as it calls for a five percent increase in sales tax revenues, monies that are shared with the cities and towns as well.
Reaction to the budget was generally positive. Legislative Majority Leader Ken Herrington of Brunswick said “ I am glad to see there is no tax increase proposed. As legislators, we will sit down and take a closer look at the budget proposal.”
Legislative Minority Leader Peter Grimm of Troy told The Eastwick Press, “I am happy to see the County Executive acknowledging the growth, particularly in the southern portion of the county.” As to the budget itself, Mr. Grimm said this was his first chance to look at it, and that he will start to really dissect it in the coming days.
District 5 Legislator Bruce Patire called the budget “prudent,” in light of the fact the County Executive doesn’t really know yet what mandates New York State is going to pass on down to the county level, and it pays to be cautious.
The Legislature will now schedule a public hearing on the budget, before it is voted on later this year.