Monticello, NY – Balancing expenses versus revenues, Sullivan County Manager Joshua Potosek today presented a 2020 Tentative Sullivan County Budget to the Legislature that is $1 million less than 2019’s but still includes a number of innovative, citizen-oriented initiatives.
“As proposed by my office, the 2020 Tentative Sullivan County Budget invests in what’s important to our residents: public transportation, broadband connectivity, sustainable living, cost-effective government, economic development, and recreational opportunities,” Potosek said. “At the same time, however, it does not burden taxpayers with excessive and unaffordable tax hikes.”
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
- $24,000 to purchase and install electric vehicle charging stations at County facilities
- $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. The public is welcome to comment on the proposed budget on December 3 at 5:30 p.m. and December 5 at 8:45 a.m. in the Hearing Room of the Sullivan County Government Center in Monticello.