Legislature adopts county budget

A bi-partisan super majority of Monroe County Legislators voted to adopt County Executive Maggie Brooks' 2006 Monroe County Budget. The county executive's budget was approved "as proposed," without any amendments.

The Monroe County Legislature approved the budget proposal by a vote of 24-5, including all 17 members of the Republican caucus and a majority of Democratic Caucus members.

The 2006 budget does not raise property taxes. The $9.10 property tax rate is frozen at the same level that the county legislature approved for the previous two Monroe County budgets. Brooks cautioned that while the 2006 county budget is fully funded, the multi-year forecast predicts a combined budget gap of $102.3 million for 2007 and 2008, with projected cost increases exceeding available revenues in those years.

November 20, 2005