Tioga County budget proposes 2.09% tax hike

By Matt Freeze —

OWEGO — Tioga County’s tentative 2026 budget contains a 2.09% tax increase, raising an additional $563,284.

Last week, legislators at their work session discussed the upcoming county budget proposal prior to the Nov. 12 presentations at the county office building.

“This will be the 14th consecutive year that the county has remained under the New York state-mandated tax cap,” County Administrator Jackson Bailey II said. “All 2025 programs are to be continued in 2026.”

Bailey said state-mandated services make up about 113% of the county’s total tax levy, and Medicaid costs make up about 30% of the total tax levy.

Total appropriations for the 2025 adopted budget were $103,292,734. For 2026, the county is looking at $109,542,625.

Bailey said that reflects an appropriations increase of 6.05%.

The majority of expenses are related to general government support, economic assistance, and public safety, followed closely by health, education, and interfund transfers, he said.

The category of “general government support” includes expenses at the county office building, personnel, departmental functions, legislative, IT, treasurer, economic development and planning — primarily government costs, Bailey said.

Bailey said the county’s top 10 costs include salaries, health insurance, sales tax distributions to municipalities, the county jail, state retirement requirements, community college tuition, special education, the foster care program, and bonds and other debts.

“Salaries make up approximately 26% of the budget, health insurance is 10.5%, Medicaid is 7.6% against total appropriations,” he said.

When it comes to outside agency funding, Bailey said they’re looking at $1,080,640 for next year, up $69,341 from this year, representing an increase of 6.86%.

Total mandated service costs for the 2025 adopted budget were $28,091,095, and next year’s total mandated services cost $31,118,123, representing an increase of 10.77%.

“Against the total proposed county property tax levy, the percentage of mandated services last year was 104.48%; this year, 113.36%,” he said.

In terms of the county’s capital budget — which includes projects, cars and trucks, equipment, telephones, software, radio equipment, road equipment, voting machine upgrades and jail security upgrades — Bailey said next year’s total is $6,777,772.

That represents an increase of $1,531,324 from 2025, he said.

In terms of American Rescue Plan Act funds, Bailey said that by year’s end, the county will have spent about $7,850,935 of the $9,362,086 awarded to the county for qualifying projects.

That includes capital investments, outside agency funding, and the provision of government services.

Of the remaining $1,503,933, just under $600,000 is obligated to the county’s emergency radio communication system upgrades, $433,011 is obligated to the county’s equipment wash facility, and the other $471,686 is obligated to county facility upgrades, Bailey said.

Those funds must be expended by the end of next year.

For next year, Bailey said expected revenues will come in at $73,332,083 — an increase of $3,222,860, or 4.39%.

Additionally, the county is anticipating $8,759,679 in appropriated or applied surplus, with a portion of that coming out of capital reserves, but not out of unrestricted surplus, Bailey said. He noted that it is money allocated to the capital budget.

Regarding real property taxes, Bailey said next year will bring in an additional anticipated $563,284.

“So, the amount taxed for 2025 was $26,887,599 — the proposed tax cap for 2026 is allowable at $27,450,883, an increase of $563,284, or 2.09%,” he said. “Balancing out the budget, total revenue surplus adopted for 2025 was $103,292,734, and in 2026 it is tentatively $109,542,645.”

That represents an increase of $6,249,911, or 6.05%.

This includes state and federal aid, real property tax, sales tax, PILOT agreements, occupancy tax, departmental fees, interest income, and casino revenue.

Legislator Andy Aronstam asked whether there’s a separate line broken out for cannabis sales tax revenue.

Bailey replied that he hasn’t done that yet since the state collects it and disburses it back to counties, so it’s considered state aid.

Right now, cannabis revenue “has been pretty minimal,” but if more money starts coming in from that, they will start reporting it separately, Bailey said.

Additionally, Bailey said the county has seen an increase in sales tax revenue thanks to more online shopping.

Bailey also said that with utilities going up, that has increased sales tax revenue as well.

“That is sad to say,” Legislator Tracy Monell said.

Bailey said the main challenges going forward are maintaining county services while managing reductions in state and federal aid, as well as advocating for some relief against the state’s unfunded mandates.

Other issues include maintaining and creating new revenue sources outside taxation, staff turnover and retirements, maintaining outside agency support, maintaining sales tax distributions to municipalities, and meeting capital equipment needs.

The 10-year average for tax increases has been 1.71%.

(Matt Freeze is a senior staff writer for The Morning Times)