BY Brandon Lawson
SCHUYLER COUNTY--The Schuyler County legislature met for its regular meeting, Monday, Nov. 13. Prior to the resolutions being approved, Interim Administrator Shawn Rosno gave a presentation about the 2024 budget.
The budget stands at $65,178,957 with estimated revenues of $54,282,645 and a tax levy of $10,896,312. Rosno explained that Schuyler County has seen consistent growth in sales tax revenue and is on course to meet the projection for 2023 and there is an expected 4.41 percent increase for 2024, or $16,400,000 total. The tax levy represents a decrease of 2.25 percent over last year’s number. The tax rate will be $5.99 per thousand, also a decrease over last year’s $6.26.
Rosno also said that planning and programs are underway to help diversify revenue sources beyond tourism revenue. He highlighted the need for housing in the community. In the presentation, one of the projects the Schuyler County Partnership of Economic Development is involved with is a housing development on Meads Hill Road. This would be the first “for sale” housing development in Schuyler County since 1975. Information available on the SCOPED website indicates project plans for up to 50 single-family homes each on two acres of property. The site is approximately 172 acres. Water and sewer service will need to be extended to the site for the development, something Rosno said SCOPED is working on securing funding for.
“The housing development is going to be mid-level housing, to maybe a little higher-level housing, where people that work at Corning Incorporated, but want to live in our community, and we have a variety of people that ask for housing on a regular basis, they’ll have someplace to live,” said Rosno. “We’ve even had county employees, who have started, and said ‘I’d love to live in the county; I have no place to live. There is not enough housing here.’”
After the public hearings, all resolutions passed. The county will begin advertising for a permanent county administrator and a resolution was introduced and passed during the meeting to expand the candidate pool by changing the education requirements for the position. Legislator Mark Rondinaro said this change drops the master’s degree prerequisite and hopefully will expand their choices in the hiring process.
SCHUYLER COUNTY--The Schuyler County legislature met for its regular meeting, Monday, Nov. 13. Prior to the resolutions being approved, Interim Administrator Shawn Rosno gave a presentation about the 2024 budget.
The budget stands at $65,178,957 with estimated revenues of $54,282,645 and a tax levy of $10,896,312. Rosno explained that Schuyler County has seen consistent growth in sales tax revenue and is on course to meet the projection for 2023 and there is an expected 4.41 percent increase for 2024, or $16,400,000 total. The tax levy represents a decrease of 2.25 percent over last year’s number. The tax rate will be $5.99 per thousand, also a decrease over last year’s $6.26.
Rosno also said that planning and programs are underway to help diversify revenue sources beyond tourism revenue. He highlighted the need for housing in the community. In the presentation, one of the projects the Schuyler County Partnership of Economic Development is involved with is a housing development on Meads Hill Road. This would be the first “for sale” housing development in Schuyler County since 1975. Information available on the SCOPED website indicates project plans for up to 50 single-family homes each on two acres of property. The site is approximately 172 acres. Water and sewer service will need to be extended to the site for the development, something Rosno said SCOPED is working on securing funding for.
“The housing development is going to be mid-level housing, to maybe a little higher-level housing, where people that work at Corning Incorporated, but want to live in our community, and we have a variety of people that ask for housing on a regular basis, they’ll have someplace to live,” said Rosno. “We’ve even had county employees, who have started, and said ‘I’d love to live in the county; I have no place to live. There is not enough housing here.’”
After the public hearings, all resolutions passed. The county will begin advertising for a permanent county administrator and a resolution was introduced and passed during the meeting to expand the candidate pool by changing the education requirements for the position. Legislator Mark Rondinaro said this change drops the master’s degree prerequisite and hopefully will expand their choices in the hiring process.
