Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - There were no splashy headline items, no major new initiatives and no big surprises in a proposed $1.7 billion dollar spending plan for Erie County in 2020 as presented by Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz Tuesday.
In a 'matter of fact' presentation in the Rath Building Tuesday afternoon, Poloncarz methodically walked through the budget proposal that included state and federally mandated items that add to the county workforce and a tax rate cut that amounts to about 12-cents per thousand dollars in assessed value.
As proposed, the tax rate would stand at $4.72 per thousand dollar of assessed value, down approximately 2.5%. Poloncarz was quick to point out, however, that if residents live in communities where there have not been assements in recent years, property taxes may actually rise as a result. "I can't control assessments", said Poloncarz in detailing the nuances of the property tax rate.
Poloncarz says ninety percent of the county's spending is mandated by federal and state initiatives and there are new requirements this year in the criminal justice and health care sectors that will lead to adding nearly seventy additional full-time employees. "We have new mandates on county government this year", said Poloncarz as he spotlighted $1.1 million in new criminal justice reform expenses. Additionally, Poloncarz says $1.28 million in new spending is a result of a mandated lead poisoning action initiative.
The spending plan is being released a bit earlier than the required date of October 15th and comes during a heated campaign season that has seen the condition of county roads and highways called into question by his opponent, Erie County Legislator Lynne Dixon.
The 2020 budget proposal includes over $80 million in spending on roads and bridges in the county and represents an $8 million increase over 2019 road spending.