County budget approved that stays within tax cap
Taxes increase 2.6 percent, but that’s within county’s allowable limit
Photos by Tom Rivers: The Orleans County Legislature last week held a public hearing on the county’s $100,261,320 budget for 2026. From left include Jack Welch, the county’s chief administrative officer and budget officer; Lynne Johnson, chairwoman of the County Legislature; and Lisa Stenshorn, clerk of the legislature.
ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature has unanimously approved the 2026 budget, a $100,261,320 spending plan that increases taxes by 2.6 percent.
That is under the county’s allowable tax levy limit. The levy will increase by $500,000 in 2026 – from $19,639,000 to $20,139,000. The county’s allowable limit is an increase of $623,787. The tax rate will go up 14 cents from $7.91 to $8.05 per $1,000 of assessed property.
The budget tops $100 million for the first time. Spending is up 1.18 percent from the $99,092,747 in 2025 to $100,261,320.
County officials said the budget faced pressure from two significant increases: retirement contributions and the costs of a mental health program for people deemed unfit to stand trial.
Lynne Johnson, the County Legislature chairwoman, thanked Chief Administrative Officer Jack Welch and County Treasurer Kim DeFrank for their work on the budget.
Jack Welch, the chief administrative officer, said two big expenses, pension contributions and a mental health law 730.30, strained the budget for 2026.
“This has been a particularly challenging year and the fact that we continued to stay under the property tax cap is a testament to the hard work and creativity of Jack, Kim and all of our department heads,” Johnson said during a budget hearing on Dec. 3.
The budget also faces a 20.8 percent increase in New York State retirement costs due to a lower stock market evaluation on March 31, 2025, as well as some employees earning more money from longer work weeks – 35 to 40 hours, Welch said.
The county’s bill for retirement costs will be up $786,267 in 2026. The retirement costs are one of the nine state mandated programs which now account of 115 percent of the tax levy, Welch said.
The other big increase for the county: Mental Health Law Expense 730.30, where people deemed unfit to stand trial are committed to a facility. That can cost $30,000 to $50,000 a month per person.
The “730” expense went from $57,000 in 2023 to $367,000 in 2024 (with $50,000 budgeted). This year the budget was increased to $550,000 but the county has already spent over $1.8 million. The budgeted amount for 2026 is $1.5 million.
The cost used to be a 50-50 split with the state, but the state made it a 100 percent county expense.
“Orleans County and its taxpayers have no more capacity left to continue with these drastic increases. New York State must address this and do it now,” Johnson said.
The county was able to stay under the tax cap despite the big increases in retirement contributions and the “730” costs through other cost savings and revenue growth.
The county is moving its health insurance and medical coverage from Highmark to NYSHIP’s Empire Plan, which will reduce those costs by 6 percent.
The county also is projecting a $1.6 million increase in the local sales tax revenue. This year the sales tax receipts have been strong, nearly 9 percent ahead of 2024.
Welch said the budget maintains core county services and programs “in the most cost-effective manner possible, complies with the New York State property tax cap and provides funding for prioritized projects and programs while avoiding fiscal stress.”
Welch and Johnson both said the county budget remains driven by state-mandated programs.
The nine mandated programs used to account for 90 percent of the overall tax levy. With the 12026 budget, those mandates now account for $23,196,803 or 115.2 percent of the tax levy, Welch said.
9 state-mandated programs:
- Medicaid – $8,810,237 (down 0.3 percent)
- Public assistance/Safety Net – $3,169,135 (up 6.5 percent)
- Child welfare/protection – $2,321,194 (up 2.7 percent)
- Special education – $1,042,878 (up 3.5 percent)
- Indigent defense – $605,188 (down 19.2 percent)
- Probation – $830,723 (up 19.6 percent)
- Mental Health law expense 730.30 – $1.5 million (up 272.7 percent)
- Early intervention – $360,258 (up 13.0 percent)
- Pension – $4,557,190 (up 20.8 percent)
Total: $23,196,803 (up 10.1 percent)
Welch said the budget also maintains funding to local municipalities (sales tax sharing, community college local expense, animal control, vehicle and traffic prosecution) at $3,819,691 in 2026, up from $3,810,445. That accounts for 19.0 percent of tax levy or $1.53 of the overall rate.
The budget keeps funding at the same levels for organizations providing services in the county including:
Cornell Cooperative Extension at $240,000; Orleans Economic Development Agency at $200,000; Soil & Water at $100,500, four public libraries to share $10,000; Mercy Flight at $5,000; Council of the Arts at $4,000; Cobblestone Museum, $3,000.
The budget includes $8,566,052 for capital projects:
Highway – $7,446,143 ($7,060,509 from state and federal governments)
- Local bridge and culvert repairs, $50,000
- Patch and seal county roads, $150,000
- Highway reconstruction, $2,668,458
- Eagle Harbor Knowlesville culvert, $865,000
- Bridge Project #2, $2,375,500
- Groth Road bridge replacement, $1,337,185
Buildings and grounds – $610,000 (all county cost)
- Boiler pump (Public Square), $40,000
- Pole barn, $150,000
- Parking lot at DPW, $130,000
- Elevator maintenance, $30,000
- Air handlers (Treasurer and Probation), $50,000
- Fiber loop, $210,000
Sheriff – $509,909 (All county cost)
- Animal control for leased truck, $15,000
- Fleet maintenance program: 2026, $105,000
- Fleet maintenance program: 2024, $52,957
- Fleet maintenance program: 2025, $106,800
- Tasers lease (2024-2028), $45,575
- 8×10 omega plate, $15,000
- Jail – vests, $13,577
- Jail – Axon Tasers lease, $6,000
- Jail repairs, $150,000
