Clinton County tax levy drops further

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November 20, 2009

By JOE LoTEMPLIO The Press Republican Fri Nov 20, 2009, 10:28 PM EST

PLATTSBURGH — The tax levy in the proposed 2010 budget for Clinton County has been reduced from the initial plan.

The initial tax-levy increase was 2.6 percent, but help from employee health-insurance enrollments in the past two weeks has dropped that figure to a 0.8-percent increase.

Also, the proposed tax rate will go down 10 cents from $5.98 per $1,000 of assessed property value, as initially proposed, to $5.88.

"If your assessment did not go up, many folks will see a reduction in the county portion of their tax bill," County Administrator and Budget Officer Michael Zurlo told legislators at Wednesday night's Finance Committee meeting.

Zurlo said results from the employees' open-enrollment period yielded good news, as the county realized a reduction from original estimates of about 6 percent on one of its plans and also offered employees a new health-insurance plan with lower premiums.

The proposed total budget for 2010 is $158,065,016, an increase of $1,092,362, or 0.7 percent.

Revenues are planned at $131,719,989, up 877,726, or 0.7 percent.

The proposed tax levy is $26,345,027, for an increase of $214,636, or 0.8 percent.

The county will hold a public hearing on the budget plan at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 2, in the Legislature Chambers at the County Government Center.

Legislators will vote on the budget at their Dec. 9 meeting.

E-mail Joe LoTemplio at: jlotemplio@pressrepublican.com