Putnam County Executive MaryEllen Odell proposed a $139 million budget for 2013 last night, a half percent increase over current spending, The Journal News/Lohud.com reports today.
A taxpayer with a home assessed at $261,000, the county average, would pay $931 in county taxes next year, 2 percent more than this year. The figure is an average for Putnam’s six towns and three villages. Taypayers could end up paying more or less than the average depending on the state-set equalization rate in each community.
Odell said her budget proposal would not exceed the state’s 2 percent cap on increasing the property-tax levy. The county would not lay off any workers, but it would reduce overtime across the board by 10 percent. Benefits costs are increasing by $2.2 million. The budget would cut spending on ”quality-of-life services” by $1.4 million.
“This is a fair, balanced and comprehensive budget that reflects what I believe is the people’s budget,” she said.
The budget proposal is now in the hands of the county Legislature, which is holding a public hearing on it Oct. 23. Odell has veto power over the budget legislators adopt.
