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Submitted by the County Manager’s Office
Niagara County’s taxpayers can expect their property tax rates to be reduced to a historic low next year if the budget prepared by County Manager Rick Updegrove and Budget Director Dan Huntington is approved by county lawmakers next month.
The tentative 2020 budget sets a full-value property tax rate of $6.73 per $1,000 of assessed value.
Available records indicate $6.73 is the lowest rate going back at least 36 years.
The tentative budget was set to be filed with the County Legislature on Friday. County lawmakers will then hold their review sessions to assess the proposed budget, and will vote on the budget next month.
“With a firm commitment to responsible fiscal administration, we continue to find ways to reduce county property taxes. The direction we gave our administration was to prepare a budget within the tax cap,” Legislator John Syracuse said.
Legislator Becky Wydysh added, “The budget is the product of the responsible decisions we have made throughout the year. It recognizes the sacrifice of property taxpayers while continuing to provide vital county services.”
The property tax levy in the 2020 budget will be $83.7 million for the general funds and $9.2 million for special districts.
“Our economic development efforts have realized almost $400 million in private investment since 2015; the expansion of our tax base helps lower our tax rates,” Legislator Randy Bradt said.
Updegrove and Huntington also released the county budget message on Friday. Some of the items noted include new unfunded state mandates, increased sales tax revenue, and increased contractual expenditures.
Niagara County, for the ninth consecutive year, has developed a budget under the New York state tax cap limit.