Yates tax rate will decline 2.8 percent

PENN YAN - The $42,022,591 Yates County budget for 2017 was adopted Nov. 15 without any comment from an audience of slightly more than a dozen people and with few adjustments by the county legislature.
"The fact that we did not have a single public comment tonight speaks quite loudly to the fact that the public must generally be satisfied with the efforts that we have all put in as a team effort," Chairman Timothy Dennis said.
His comment was immediately followed with a unanimous vote in favor of the 2017 spending plan that is $129,078 or .31 percent higher than this year's budget.
During the 45-minute public hearing, the legislature successfully voted to increase a $575,000 contingent fund by $100,000, using money from the fund balance.
But legislator James Smith's motion to rescind a modification in the public defender's budget was not successful. Likewise, a proposition by legislator Elden Morrison to reduce funding to Cornell Cooperative Extension of Yates County also failed.
While spending is up slightly, the full county tax rate dips by almost 19 cents to $6.5246 per $1,000 of assessed value, a decrease of 2.83 percent, said county Treasurer and Budget Officer Nonie Flynn.
Tentative county taxes for a home assessed at $100,000 will be $652.46 in 2017, compared with $671.44 this year, a decrease of $18.98 or 2.8 percent, she said.
The projected tax levy for 2017 is $16,045,571, an increase of $22,127 or .14 percent compared with this year.
Revenues other than property taxes are anticipated to be $24,980,628 in next year's budget, an increase of $999,644 or 4 percent.
To balance the 2017 budget, $996,392 is being used from reserve funds, a decrease of $892,693 or 47.3 percent compared with the current budget.
The 2017 budget is $311,869 below the allowable state tax cap.
Gaming revenue for Yates County in 2017 from Seneca Nation casinos in Allegany, Buffalo and Niagara is projected to be $137,000, Flynn said. That is pretty consistent with what the county has received in the past, she said, noting the county began seeing revenue from those three casinos in 2014.
Yates won't receive revenue from two new casinos that are opening soon because it is not eligible, she said, referring to Tioga Downs in Nichols and del Lago in Tyre.
During her presentation, Flynn thanked department heads for their input in preparing the budget.
"Their effort in sharing fiscal responsibility is greatly appreciated," she said.