OSWEGO - Oswego County property owners will see no increase in the tax rate if the 2010 county budget is approved as proposed. The $185,422,628 budget presented to the Legislature’s Finance and Personnel Committee by County Administrator Phil Church keeps the generic tax rate at $7.18 for every $1,000 of assessed value. Tax rates may vary slightly in each municipality, depending on equalization rates and other local factors.

 “Between the work of the County Administrator, the department heads, and the Finance and Personnel Committee, we were able to hold the line and present a budget with a zero tax increase,” said committee chairman Arthur Ospelt. “A lot of people share the credit for developing the budget.  Phil Church did a good job of putting the budget together and the department heads worked well with him. Our committee all year long has watched the budget very carefully, and by working together we were able to avoid an increase in county property taxes.”

County leaders noted that there are several external factors that are impacting Oswego County and local governments in New York State:

• Counties are required to cover fund losses in the state retirement system that resulted from the economic crash. Oswego County is forced to pay an additional $1.9 million in 2010.
• Lower interest rates result in a loss of $800,000 in interest earnings revenue.
• Nine new positions are mandated at the County Jail, and the state is ending reimbursement to counties that house prisoners from other counties in their jails.         

The County Legislature’s standing committees will review the proposed budget over the next several weeks. Under state law, the Legislature must approve a budget by Dec. 20. The Legislature’s Finance and Personnel Committee set the public hearing on the county budget for 7 p.m. Dec. 15.