Statement from Chairman Lynne Johnson

 “Today, Orleans County released its tentative budget that continues to stay below the state property tax cap, even with the tremendous budget pressures we are facing from high inflation and unfunded state mandates.  It is unconscionable that just nine state mandates now account for 98.9% of our total tax levy in this year’s budget proposal but that is the reality we are dealing with as Albany attempts to pass their budget problems onto us.

“With that said, I commend Chief Administrative Officer Jack Welch and all our of department heads for putting together a responsible budget that properly funds our services while maintaining accountability to taxpayers.  The need for our services has never been greater, yet our employees continue to find ways to meet that demand within the confines of our budget. 

“Now, the Legislature welcomes any public input as we begin the final budget review and move toward adoption.”

The budget message from CAO Welch can be found here: https://cms9files.revize.com/orleanscountyny/2024%20tentative%20budget.pdf