Monticello, NY – Sullivan County Manager Joshua Potosek will be presenting the 2020 Tentative Sullivan County Budget at various meetings around the County in early December.
The $233 million budget – $1 million less than 2019’s – was given to legislators in November, who are now reviewing it.
“In the interim, I want to give citizens an opportunity to learn about the budget via clear, concise and brief presentations that I bring to them, rather than requiring them to come to the Government Center in Monticello,” Potosek explained. “After all, this budget is about serving them and investing in what’s important to them. I’m happy to answer their questions and take their concerns back to the Legislature.”
Potosek will present the 2020 Budget at the following town board meetings:
• December 3: Town of Mamakating, approximately 6:30 p.m., Mamakating Town Hall, Wurtsboro
• December 9: Town of Fallsburg, 6 p.m., Fallsburg Town Hall, South Fallsburg
• December 10: Town of Highland, 7 p.m., Highland Town Hall, Eldred
• December 11: Town of Delaware, 7 p.m., Delaware Town Hall, Hortonville
Two public hearings will also be held on the budget at the Government Center in Monticello: one on December 3 at 5:30 p.m. (after which Potosek will travel to Mamakating’s meeting) and one on December 5 at 8:45 a.m.
The $233,129,442 budget, as currently proposed, stays under the State-mandated property tax cap with a 1.59% rate increase. That’s below the average rate increase over the past four years.
Full details of the budget are available at www.sullivanny.us (click on “Sullivan County 2020 Tentative Budget Executive Summary” and “Sullivan County 2020 Tentative Budget Detail” under the “Helpful Links” tab in the lefthand margin).
Highlights include:
- $6.6 million for road and bridgework throughout the County
- $450,000 to purchase two buses and expand the service for Move Sullivan
- $300,000 for local towns and villages to demolish unsafe structures via our RUSt (Removing Unsafe Structures) Program
- $300,000 for the Legislature’s Discretionary Funds Program, assisting deserving nonprofits and community groups
- $227,008 to complete a new Delaware River access point in Barryville
- $200,000 to build a tower in Monticello in anticipation of expanding the broadband wireless pilot program (testing to commence in 2020)
- $100,000 for the popular Plans & Progress Small Grant Program
- $70,000 for trail enhancements along the former O&W railbed and at Lake Superior
- $10,000 to develop an Energy Code training program to bring local officials – especially building inspectors and code enforcement officers – up to speed on rapidly changing “green energy” technologies for residences and businesses
- Funding to add 7 new staff members to the Care Center at Sunset Lake
- A plan to restructure key divisions of County government
The budget also provides the necessary funds to operate two jails for a month while personnel, inmates and equipment are transferred from the old jail to the new facility.
Legislators now have until December 20 to review, discuss and adopt the budget.