Rensselaer County 2021 budget cuts taxes, spending
County executive says cutbacks, sales tax revenues aided efforts
Troy Rensselaer County’s proposed 2021 budget of $349.5 million cuts spending by 1.1 percent and property taxes by 3.6 percent as the county rides out new demands caused by the coronavirus pandemic and a constrained economy, County Executive Steve Mclaughlin said in an address to the County Legislature on Friday.
“This budget was drafted with COVID -19 as a backdrop and at a time when much of our focus remains on dealing with the pandemic,” Mclaughlin said.
He stressed that the county ’s fiscally conservative practices, including more than $1.5 million in trimmed personnel expenses in 2020 and a record year in 2019 for sales tax revenues, have left it in better shape than many communities to deal with the current economic climate.
“It is my hope we can all take pride in this and recognize that Rensselaer County will be protecting taxpayers at a time when many other taxpayers will be facing higher taxes and fees,” Mclaughlin said.
The proposed 2021 budget of $349.5 million is $3.6 million less than the 2019 budget.
The budget includes $800,000 for COVID -19 contact tracing in the county Health Department, including the addition of two nursing positions. Mclaughlin said he hopes to secure reimbursement for the county ’s COVID -19 expenses for tracing and at the Van Rensselaer Manor, the county nursing home.
The proposed county property tax rate for 2021 is $5.281 per $1,000 of full assessed valuation. That's a cut of 19.8 cents from the current tax rate of $5.479 per $1,000 of full assessed valuation.
A home assessed at $150,000 would have a county tax bill of $792.15 in 2021. The actual tax rates will vary in the county ’s 14 towns and two cities depending on the equalization rates.
Mclaughlin’s proposed budget now goes to the County Legislature for review and approval.
The Republican majority on the legislature praised the proposed budget for continuing to provide essential services while increasing funding for COVID -19 programs and impacts.
“In Rensselaer County, we continue to do more with less. This budget is great news for the taxpayers,” said County Legislature Chairman Michael Stammel, R- Rensselaer.
Minority Leader Peter Grimm, D -Troy, said he was glad to see the spending plan's commitment to battling COVID -19. He said the Democratic minority would review the budget.