JAMESTOWN – The Chautauqua County Legislature will hold its monthly voting session Wednesday, and while the 2016 budget is expected to take center stage, several other items are also on today’s agenda.
Lawmakers will meet Wednesday night to discuss and act on the 2016 budget, which includes total spending of $256 million and a tentative property tax rate decrease of 4.6 percent. However, that tax cut could be even greater, with the legislature’s Audit and Control committee making several recommended amendments that will be put forward and acted on this evening. If all the changes are approved, residents could see the tax rate decrease by as much as 6 percent.
A key reason for the drop in the tax rate is a .5 percent increase in county sales tax rate, bringing the new total sales tax rate to 8 percent. With the sales tax hike, the overall sales tax revenue in the 2016 budget is projected to by $37.15 million dollars, an increase of $8.7 million compared to 2015.
Wednesday’s discussion and vote on the budget begins at 6:30 p.m. and is open to the public.
AFTERNOON MEETING WILL DEAL WITH REGULAR AGENDA
County lawmakers will also meet Wednesday at 2 p.m. to act on other county business.
Among the items to be discussed and voted on is the allocation of occupancy tax funding for 2016.
Nine waterway projects have been recommended to receive a portion of the funds as part of an ongoing effort to preserve lakes and streams.
Last week the legislature’s Planning and Economic Development Committee approved a recommendation from the county waterways panel to allocate nearly $200,000 toward the nine projects. Overall, 19 applications were submitted.
The two largest projects set to recive funding are the Chadakoin Riverwalk project came, put forth by the city of Jamestown and the Roger Tory Peterson Institute – requesting nearly $40,000.
And Walnut Creek Streambank Stabilization in the village of Silver Creek, $40,000.
A complete agenda for Wednesday’s meeting, which again begins at 2 p.m., with the discussion and budget vote happening at 6:30 p.m. – can be found at the county’s website.
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