**Bath, NY – November 12, 2024** – Steuben County Manager Jack Wheeler presented the proposed 2025 county budget on Monday, November 12, 2024, in the Steuben County Annex Building Legislative Chambers. The presentation highlighted key fiscal priorities, including competitive wages, capital investment, tourism funding, and a balanced approach to managing local property taxes and sales tax revenue.
Key Budget Highlights:
Property Tax Levy and Tax Rate:
The proposed 1.76% increase in the tax levy is approximately half of the allowable increase under the New York State property tax cap. However, despite the increase in the levy, the average tax rate per thousand is projected to decrease by 4.71% in 2025, marking the 12th consecutive year of reduced tax rates. Over the past decade, the county has successfully reduced the average full value tax rate by 27.53%, reflecting a long-term strategy to the tax burden on county residents while maintaining services.
Personnel Services: Competitive Market-Based Salaries
One of the primary focuses in the 2025 budget is a competitive approach to recruiting and retaining personnel. The Steuben County Legislature has expressed a commitment to offering market-based salaries and benefits to attract top talent. Like most organizations, the county has experienced challenges filling vacant positions, and this budget prioritizes wage adjustments to recruit staff that provide critical services to residents.
Expense Drivers:
The primary expense drivers for the 2025 budget are salary and wage adjustments, coupled with increases in Medicaid and other Social Services costs, which continue to represent significant fiscal challenges. Despite these pressures, the county is committed to maintaining local programs while fulfilling state-mandated services.
The 2025 Steuben County budget focuses on EMS, public safety and public works. After introducing supplemental EMS coverage in June 2024 with temporary part-time EMTs and paramedics, the county plans to transition some staff to permanent positions in 2025. In public works, the county has allocated $9.55 million for road construction projects to enhance infrastructure.
In presenting the budget, County Manager Jack Wheeler emphasized the county's commitment to fiscal responsibility and long-term stability:
"The tax levy is projected to increase 1.76%, approximately half of the allowable tax cap, while the average tax rate per thousand will decrease by 4.71%. This is a responsible budget that balances the need to support county services and programs with the goal of minimizing the tax burden on our residents."
Total Expenses for 2025 to be budgeted at $259,696,215
