County Executive Steve McLaughlin unveiled his proposed 2025 budget Thursday at the new Rensselaer County Office Building.
The $424 million dollar spending plan is the seventh budget introduced by McLaughlin since he was elected County Executive in 2017.
"Along with continued strong sales tax numbers and careful management and budget of revenues and expenses, we are again able to deliver a significant property tax rate reduction for fiscal year 2025," said McLaughlin. "The budget plan submitted to the county legislature includes a property tax rate reduction of 8% for 2025. As stated last year, county taxpayers now pay a rate comparable to almost 25 years ago. The average county property tax rate of $3.55 per 1,000 is equivalent to the amount paid by county taxpayers in the early 90’s."
McLaughlin noted that for 2023, the county collected a record $124 million in sales tax revenues, up from $121 million in 2022.
District 2 Republican Legislator Tom Grant represents East Greenbush, North Greenbush and Poestenkill.
“It's a positive budget. It makes strong reference to the past years of success, and it builds very successfully on future years. The county has been very successful in recent years in increasing its sales tax. And there's really two levels of funding that the county relies on. Every county relies on. It’s sales tax and real property tax revenues, and as a result of the increases in sales tax over the years, the county and the county executive have been able to propose significant tax cuts over the last seven years,” Grant said.
McLaughlin pointed out that all of his past budgets have included property tax rate reductions.
“The property tax rate reduction included in the proposed 2025 county budget follows the reduction of 10% last year, and was adopted by the legislative body, which was great," said McLaughlin. "Combined, it means the county property tax rate has been reduced by about 45% over the seven budgets that I put forward for consideration and adoption.”
McLaughlin says his spending plan continues funding for infrastructure.
Peter Grimm, the County Legislature’s Minority Leader, declined to comment until he has seen the budget proposal. Deputy Minority Leader Nina Nichols, a fellow Democrat, did not return a call for comment in time for broadcast.
The budget is expected to be voted on in early December.
