RENSSELAER COUNTY TO SEE SEVENTH CONSECUTIVE COUNTY PROPERTY TAX RATE REDUCTION UNDER 2025 BUDGET PROPOSAL INTRODUCED BY COUNTY EXECUTIVE STEVE MCLAUGHLIN
RENSSELAER COUNTY TO SEE SEVENTH CONSECUTIVE COUNTY PROPERTY TAX RATE REDUCTION UNDER 2025 BUDGET PROPOSAL INTRODUCED BY COUNTY EXECUTIVE STEVE MCLAUGHLIN
BUDGET WOULD LOWER COUNTY PROPERTY TAX RATE BY 8 PERCENT WHILE MAINTAINING COUNTY SERVICES AND CONTINUING SERVICE IMPROVEMENTS
BUDGET WOULD LOWER COUNTY PROPERTY TAX RATE BY 8 PERCENT WHILE MAINTAINING COUNTY SERVICES AND CONTINUING SERVICE IMPROVEMENTS
Rensselaer County taxpayers would see a seventh consecutive property tax rate reduction in the 2025 fiscal year, with taxes set to be lowered by eight percent, County Executive Steve McLaughlin announced today.
Based on the seven budgets introduced by County Executive McLaughlin, the county property tax rate would be 45 percent lower if the 2025 spending plan is approved.
The county tax rate reduction proposed in 2025 will bring the county tax rate to a level comparable to what county taxpayers paid in the early 1990s. At the same, the county has dramatically and comprehensively improved county services during McLaughlin’s service as County Executive.
“Rensselaer County is being recognized across New York State as a leader in the reduction of property taxes and my administration is proud to introduce a budget that continues this record. No other county in New York State has done more to reduce property taxes than Rensselaer County,” said McLaughlin in his budget message.
“Too many of our friends, family and neighbors have left our state because of oppressive and high property taxes. Here in Rensselaer County, we have worked doubly hard to responsibly reduce county property taxes and to provide a measure of relief and hope in an environment where tax hikes are expected and unexplained and service improvements few and far between. We want our residents to stay here and live and grow in the community they have called home,” he continued in the message.
Service improvements include the remaking of county offices and facilities through the Reimagine Rensselaer County Facilities project started in 2022. The Reimagine project has included new county offices at 99 Troy Road in East Greenbush where McLaughlin officially presented the 2025 county budget proposal, and renovations of the County Office Building at 1600 7th Avenue in downtown. New space for the county Probation department was established in a renovated building adjacent to the County Office Building.
The county has also opened two new county senior centers, one in downtown Troy in 2023 and one in Hoosick Falls this past summer, and work is progressing on a new county senior center in the Rensselaer-East Greenbush area. Working is also set to begin on improvement of the county senior center in Schodack.
The county also previously fulfilled a promise made by McLaughlin to develop a new county Emergency Services Training Complex, located on the same property as the training complex that had been closed for several years in North Greenbush.
McLaughlin noted the Reimagine project has seen significant progress since initial approval by the County Legislature in 2022. Some facets of the project were approved in several months or within a year. The Hoosick Falls senior center was completed within a year of the property for new center being acquired.
“Equally important is that this work was done in a way that is cost-efficient for our county and in a way that positions us for future savings. As announced in summer 2022, the Reimagine Rensselaer County expansion and improvement effort utilized $26.8 million in surplus funds. Along with county surplus funds, some funds from the federal American Rescue Plan were utilized for the effort, and some previously budgeted funds used to support some aspects of the project,” said McLaughlin in his budget message.
“The fact the county largely avoided long-term bonding for major components of the Reimagine Rensselaer County Facilities project is important. It should be recognized that the project and reducing our long-standing reliance on more expensive rented properties is equally meaningful. The rental of space for our DSS and Probation offices was done at a cost of over $1.1 million annually, or a cost of $11 million over 10 years,” he continued in the message.
The work to improve the county senior centers has been particularly important, McLaughlin said, noting the positive reception for the Troy senior center, which mirrors the response for the new Hoosick Falls senior center.
“Upon taking office, it became clear that our system of county senior centers were in need of attention. Of the five senior centers operated by our county in 2018, only one was owned by the county. Only two were designed suitably to be used as senior centers. We were losing a lease on two of those centers thanks to private redevelopment and another regularly had a downstairs that was unusable when it became wet. Three of our senior centers were in a condition where it seemed they had been forgotten and dark, allowed to decay and become unwelcoming and at times, even unsafe,” he said in the message.
“Since making determination that a change was needed, we have made tremendous improvement in the quality of our senior centers. Our first project, the new senior center in downtown Troy in City Station near the County Office Building, was opened in spring 2023. The county senior center in Troy features a movie room, coffee bar, golf simulator, kitchen with the capability of serving all meals daily in the senior network, and other technology and features that make the center state-of-the-art. There is safe and convenient access to the center and more and more seniors are visiting the Center on Sixth. We believe and many agree, that the Rensselaer County senior center in downtown Troy is one of the finest senior centers not only in New York State, but the entire nation,” McLaughlin added.
The county has continued a major effort to improve county roads, with 255 miles paved during the previous six years. During 2024, the seventh year, the county is on track to pave 40 miles of county roads. During 2025, the county will likely complete the paving of the 330-mile county road network, McLaughlin noted.
“When I took office in 2018, the county road network that stretches over 330 miles was in need of attention and improvement. Our Rebuild Rensselaer County Roads initiative has been carried out since 2018, paving mile after mile of road through storms and a pandemic and in every corner of our county. The work has transformed the Rensselaer County roads network into an example of “government gone good”, with residents, motorists and businesses remarking they can notice the improvement in roads when they cross our county line,” said McLaughlin.
“It means that with approval of this budget for 2025 and funding for county road improvements, that all 330-miles of the Rensselaer County roads network will have been improved. Never before has so much focus been devoted on improving our county roads and never before have so many county miles been improved. This will amount to a landmark achievement for our county and ensure comprehensive and complete improvement of a major county service with benefits for today and future generations.
The county has also funded important infrastructure improvements, utilizing ARPA funds, including extension of infrastructure on US 9 in Schodack, US 4 in North Greenbush and State Route 66 in Poestenkill. The county partnered with the City of Troy and provided $2 million in funding for the renovation of the Knickerbacker arena ice rink. ARPA funds were also used for town bridge projects in Sand Lake and Schodack.
The overall value of property in the county increased by $3.1 billion over the past two years, an indication that more are looking to the county to make investments and live and work. Sales tax revenues have also been strong as the county has earned strong bond ratings and positive reviews following independent audits.
“There can be talk and speculation about whether the policies of my administration have worked. The real proof is in the hard numbers before you, a growth of over $3 billion in overall value of properties in Rensselaer County in just two years here. People are choosing to live, work and invest here, and we are sharing unmistakable proof of that in these numbers,” said McLaughlin.
“Rensselaer County has earned recognition for strong performance in sales tax revenues as our tax base has expanded and more and more come to our county to invest and make meaningful purchases,” he continued.
“For 2023, we earned a record $124 million in sales tax revenues, up from $121 million in 2022 and $110 million in 2021. We estimate sales tax revenues for 2024 will be approximately the same as 2023. While optimistic about revenues, we also urge prudence when considering this area of the budget,” McLaughlin said.
The county is looking forward to the new fiscal year and the challenges and opportunities ahead.
“As County Executive, I knew we could do better and we have. Our focus on bringing property taxes in line to encourage the overall growth and prosperity of our county is working and we continue to be a beacon as we navigate challenging economic circumstances,” said McLaughlin in his budget message.