Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - The Erie County Legislature passed on Thursday a 2024 spending plan that provides for tax relief and a break in home energy costs.
The tax breaks were negotiated by the Erie County Republican Caucus after members felt the Administration hadn’t done enough for taxpayers hit hard by inflation.
“The cut to the property tax levy is the first one since 2001. It’s about time. With the kind of surplus Erie County has enjoyed, it’s incumbent upon us to deliver some of that back to the residents of Erie County. By also helping to ease the burden on home heating costs during the winter, taxpayers will be able to keep a few extra bucks in their pockets. It’s important the spending plan respects the hard-working residents of our community,” said Legislature Minority Leader John Mills.
The 2024 budget passed by a vote of 11-0, and cuts the property tax levy by $1 million.
In addition, there is no county sales tax on home energy products during the peak months of December to February. Those home energy products include natural gas, electric, propane, wood, pellets, heating oil and coal.
Because the 2% tax cap remains in place, it is anticipated that Erie County will save more than $80 million over the next decade with the one-time tax levy reduction.
The Republican Caucus also included in its budget talks a requirement for a five-year road maintenance and repair plan for county roads. The plan will continually lay out all the roadwork to be done over the course of a five-year period so that local leaders and residents can better anticipate and plan for the work to be done in their communities.
In addition, the spending plan memorializes a job vacancy account that will leave positions vacant for at least three weeks once someone leaves. That wait time for new hires will save Erie County money by requiring a wait-time before new hires are brought on board.
The Republican Caucus also put forth a measure to extend limits on taxing gasoline and diesel fuel sales, exempting any Erie County gas tax over $2.00 per gallon, however that measure was defeated by a vote of 6-5, with all but one Democrat colleague voting to end the tax break on gasoline sales.
This means the gas tax limit will end March 2024.
In addition, lawmakers moved to do away with fee increases at county parks, so that Erie County residents can continue to enjoy the many parks and recreational areas operated by Erie County, without having to pay more to do so.
“Overall this budget is a win for our constituents. They are seeing a cut to their property taxes, which will save significant dollars over the course of the next decade, they are getting a break on home energy costs this winter, and their park fees aren’t going up. I’m proud of the efforts of my caucus to ensure we respected taxpayers and provided them some relief in this spending plan,” concluded Minority Leader Mills.