Chautauqua County Executive Greg Edwards is out with his proposed 2013 budget. It calls for a slight increase in the County's full value tax rate, but the budget also includes proceeds from the sale of the County Home, something the County Legislature has not tackled. Edwards says the County would net much more from the sale of the Dunkirk area facility than the amount included in the Center for Governmental Research study.
Edwards-Disputes CGR numbers
Edwards' budget would proposed a full value tax rate increase of about 3 cents.
Edwards-On tax rate increase
Legislative Committees will begin the review process on Monday morning. There is speculation that the Legislature may take up the issue of selling the County Home next month, about the same time as the County Budget.
In other action, the County Legislature approved a local law to provide a County Real Property Tax Exemption for first time homebuyers of newly constructed homes in the county. The Legislature approved the measure by 21-4 vote.