The Monroe County Legislature easily approved the 2022 county budget on Tuesday night. The $1.28 billion spending plan was approved by a vote of 27-2.
The budget calls for reducing the county property tax by about seven cents per $1,000 of assessed value, but anticipates an increase in the tax levy due to rising property values across the county.
County Executive Adam Bello said that the budget reduces the property tax rate to the lowest rate since 2003, and allocates additional funding to the Sheriff’s Office, Public Safety Department and the District Attorney’s Office.
Bello said it also continues investments in county parks, pushes ahead with the ongoing renovation of the Seneca Park Zoo and better supports small and mid-sized arts and cultural organizations. He said the budget “recognizes the stresses our community faces,” and called it a “responsible, realistic and common sense spending plan.”
The Majority Leader on the Monroe County Legislature, Steve Brew praised the “bi-partisan improvements” made to the budget which include two amendments that he backed.
One of them adds some positions and increases wages for county staff, the other adds positions requested by the District Attorney, to provide three Special Assistant District positions to provide additional support towards addressing the record number of homicides in the city this year.
