Most Onondaga County homeowners would pay less in property taxes next year under county executive Ryan McMahon’s new budget plan. McMahon presented his budget proposal to county lawmakers Monday.
He is proposing an 11 percent cut, which amounts to around $100.00 for a $300,000.00 house.
Since he took office in late 2018, the county’s levy has plunged by 42 percent. McMahon said the hot real-estate market has driven up property values which in turn is driving up revenue.
“We have made the decision not to grow government more than what we have to and to give that money back. Now when you look at our overall budget, property taxes, I don't even know if they make up 10% of our budget.”
While the county’s portion of overall tax bills is at record lows, town and village levies and school district taxes are also factors in a homeowner’s overall bill. McMahon said the county’s revenue has shifted more to sales taxes.
The county is projecting a 1.5 % increase in 2026 sales taxes, despite indicators of a softening economy, based in part on tariffs.
“2026 is probably the year that we'll start to see real construction going on related to Micron that hopefully will mean that our (sales tax revenue) number is too conservative and we'll have higher growth,” said Mcmahon. “But we're planning for that. That's what we're basing all of our funding off of…that is our revenue driver is sales tax.”
NEW BUDGET INITAITIVES
The overall $1.6 billion budget proposal includes: $6 million toward a new sheriff’s helicopter; $700,000 for drones to respond to 911 calls; the creation of a convention and innovation district around the Oncenter; $1.2 million for continued lead abatement; and investments in early childhood education.
County legislators begin their budget review September 17.