BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) - The property tax rate for Erie County homeowners is expected to drop to $4.33 per $1,000 in assessed home values in next year's budget, according to Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz who unveiled his $1.6 billion budget on Monday.
Last year's property tax rate was $4.42. The tax rate has decreased each of the last four years to reflect the county's efforts in controlling home assessments, especially as home values have skyrocketed in recent months and years.
"If we just let the tax rate grow every year without addressing it - voting over the tax cap and so forth - then taxes would be skyrocketing exponentially," Poloncarz said. "Someone who had a house where the assessment and equalization are the same, you're going to pay less in taxes next year than you did in this year."
The tax rate, if the budget is approved, would mark the lowest rate since 1960.
The proposal now heads to the Erie County Legislature, who have until December 7 to vote on the budget.
Other highlights in the budget include $24 million for the COVID-19 response, new investments for law enforcement and small business revitalization, $77 million for capital programs, and $34 million from the American Rescue Plan to construct ErieNet.
In response to the budget, Erie County Comptroller Stefan Mychajliw released the following statement:
"Mark Poloncarz thinks you are stupid. The Erie County Executive thinks Hamburg taxpayers are stupid. He is raising taxes. In his proposed budget struggling families will pay higher taxes. All of this talk of a tax rate is nothing more than smoke and mirrors to stop people from looking at your actual tax bill. Mark my words: you are going to pay more in taxes in his proposed budget. Government spending is up. More government jobs are being added to the payroll. There's a massive surplus. But look at your tax bill. Look at how much you pay in this budget compared to the year before. Your taxes are going up. I am mandated by the Erie County Charter to have a response by October 15th. I'm going to be truthful to taxpayers, unlike the County Executive. I will show exactly how he is raising taxes on families in Hamburg and Erie County."
Poloncarz declined to comment on Mychajliw's statement, saying "this guy has lost his marbles."
