MONTICELLO  — The Legislature unanimously voted to adopt the $291 million 2024 Sullivan County Budget on Thursday, December 14, but not before having a healthy debate about how to cover the unanticipated $2 million increase in health insurance premiums.

Ultimately, during a special meeting of the full Legislature to adopt the budget, legislators voted to raise the tax levy by 1.4 percent to cover half of that increase. The other half will be covered by monies in the County’s fund balance. 

This amendment to the budget went through on a 6-3 vote. The legislators to vote no were District 7 Legislator Joseph Perrello, outgoing District 9 Legislator Alan Sorensen and outgoing District 1 Legislator and Chair Robert Doherty. 

“I think we unnecessarily burdened the people of Sullivan County for no reason,” said Doherty. “The money is sitting there in the fund balance [at the rate of $71 million].”

Sorensen proposed a tax levy increase of 1 percent, stating that they can’t go as high as a 2.8 percent increase as it is “insensitive to the taxpayer.” But he also said that he has never felt that it was a good idea to do zero percent, either, because there is always a cost somewhere. 

With this proposal by Sorensen, Doherty was adamant that the much higher tax levy increase of 2.8 percent, proposed by Perrello, wasn’t going to pass. Doherty questioned Perrello whether the District 7 Legislator still wanted to put his proposal up for vote. But, after a heated back-and-forth discussion, it went up to vote where it, unsurprisingly to the Chairman, failed by a 5-4 roll call vote. After this amendment failed, the 1.4 percent tax levy increase went up for a roll call vote and passed, 6-3. 

“It was a good compromise,” Sorenson said after this amendment passed.

Perrello was happy with the outcome, despite the increase he proposed not passing, saying, “We had to do something to address this surprise health increase. It’s a good, solid budget and they voted on it the way I wanted.”

Perrello said that ultimately, he was aiming for 1.5 percent, but that you always have to shoot high so his negotiating tactic worked. 

“We have a wealth of changes coming up next year,” Perrello said, “and if one of those items hits us, we have major problems. So I’d like to keep everything we have where it is today, cover our expenses, which was unexpected, and then it’ll be [up to] the next legislature to worry about how to handle it going forward.”

District 2 Legislator Nadia Rajsz stated that it was unfortunate that they had to raise taxes, but agreed with Perrello that it was needed to cover the unexpected increase of health insurance rates. She reluctantly voted yes on the 1.4 percent tax levy increase amendment. 

District 3 Legislator Mike Brooks noted that he didn’t want to have to raise taxes at all, but proposed what was ultimately agreed upon. That was to split the difference with the tax levy increase and County fund balance. 

“It’s a balancing act,” Brooks said. “[A 2.8 percent increase] is a little too much to ask of the taxpayer because the county is not in that much of a bind. I think the 1.4 percent tax increase strikes the right balance.”  

District 4 Legislator Nick Salomone Jr. said that it is a fair budget and that the Legislative body compromised on it the best they could. 

District 5 Legislator George Conklin, like Rasjz, was reluctant to vote for a tax levy increase, but explained that they compromised while keeping focus on the future when working on and managing the budget. 

District 6 Legislator Luis Alvarez agreed with Perrello on the need to raise the tax levy and said they need to be prepared for what the State is going to demand of the county in 2024. 

The budget as amended passed unanimously with all nine legislators voting yes, although the resolution to adopt the 2024 Tax Levy was passed on an 8 yes to 1 no vote [Doherty.] 

“I’m very happy to leave Sullivan County in better financial condition than I found it 16 years ago, when I first became a legislator,” stated Sorenson, who is retiring from the Legislature at the end of the month along with District 8 Legislator Ira Steingart. 

“No one likes raising taxes,” Steingart said. “But due to uncertainties with the State and the economy, it was prudent for us to do a small percentage increase.” 

Part of the 2024 County Budget also sets all vacant Assistant District Attorney positions at a floor of $90,000 a year, as well as salary increases for existing ADAs. New positions will also be added to the Office for the Aging (Personal Care Aides) and Public Health (Community Health Workers and an Epidemiologist Supervisor) in an effort to continue to boost the county’s health rankings. 

The adopted budget includes pay increases of over 25 percent for lawmakers. Legislators will see their salary increase from $27,600 in 2023 to $34,600 in 2024. Majority and minority leaders will have a pay increase to $37,200, vice chair will be paid $39,600 and the legislative chair will earn $43,600.

Full details of the adopted 2024 County Budget can be found at www.sullivanny.us (look for a tab labeled “Sullivan County 2024 Adopted Budget” in the left hand margin).  

2024-2029 Capital Plan Highlights

The Legislature also unanimously passed the 2024-2029 Capital Budget Plan for Sullivan County on Thursday. The Capital Plan totals $188,516,623 and includes 119 capital improvement projects. 

A majority of the cost requests in the plan are from the Department of Public Works (DPW), with $117,628,123 being budgeted for bridge and road maintenance. $76,314,000 of that is for road maintenance and $41,314,123 is for bridge maintenance. This includes bridge repair and replacement as well as paving and surface treating county roads. 

The bridge and road maintenance portions account for 62.4 percent of the entire Capital Plan. $51,375,000 is budgeted for the Sullivan County International Airport (SCIA), which is 27.3 percent of the Capital Plan. That includes over $24 million for a NYSDOT Grant to construct a new terminal building to replace the current 53-year old terminal building. 

The SCIA is budgeted for 33 percent of the 2024 portion of the Capital Plan, totaling over $15 million. Over $20 million is budgeted for the SCIA in 2025, which is 45 percent of that year on the Capital Plan.