Warren Co. schedules Nov. 21 public hearing for 2026 county budget

QUEENSBURY | The Warren County Board of Supervisors has scheduled a Nov. 21 public hearing on a 2026 tentative county budget that makes significant investments in public safety and essential programs while continuing to keep the county property tax rate among the lowest in New York State. The Board of Supervisors accepted the tentative budget at its meeting on Friday, Nov. 7. The $215.7 million proposed 2026 budget keeps the tax rate down despite higher costs for state-mandated services, health insurance, retirement costs, Medicaid and inflation-related expenditures. Projected revenue increases and efforts by county agencies to reduce spending helped offset increased mandates. Increased countywide property valuation, stemming from new development and rising property values, contributes to a countywide property tax rate that would increase by 3 cents to $ 3.293 per $1,000 in assessed value in 2026, over the NY State tax cap of 2.65%. That amounts to a tax increase of about $9 for a home valued at $300,000. (Please note that final tax rates per municipality will vary based on property equalization rate.) Under this tentative budget, Warren County will continue to have one of the lowest county property tax rates in New York State, while also continuing to have the lowest sales tax percentage (7% combined county and state) in New York. Highlights from the tentative budget: -Two new patrol officer positions will be added for the Warren County Sheriff's Office to increase traffic enforcement. -Mandated increases for Medicaid, health insurance and NYS pension contributions add nearly $3 million in spending for 2026. (About 20% of the county budget is discretionary spending.) -Labor contracts that improve investment in workforce retention for essential services add $3 million in employee wage expenditures for 2026. -Additional investments were made in a consolidated countywide waste and recyclables hauling program that is saving towns hundreds of thousands of dollars annually. -The budget appropriates nearly $5 million for road paving in 2026. Frank Thomas, Stony Creek Town Supervisor and Warren County Budget Officer, said, "Putting together a budget for 2026 was challenging as we continue to confront increased costs across the board, including large increases for health insurance, NY State pension contributions, computer software and more, along with projected reductions in state funding and reimbursement for state mandates. Thanks to exemplary work from our staff, we are able to invest in public safety and infrastructure improvements while holding the property tax rate down for property owners during these difficult times." Kevin Geraghty, Warrensburg Supervisor and Chairman of the Warren County Board of Supervisors, said, "I would like to thank Budget Officer Frank Thomas and our Budget Team for their efforts as they worked together to assemble this budget during economic uncertainty. We are going to miss Frank as our budget officer going forward, as he is retiring as Stony Creek Town Supervisor at the end of 2025. He has done a phenomenal job as budget officer for 15 years, putting in countless hours every summer and fall to keep Warren County on solid financial ground and to support our dedicated workforce. His contributions to Warren County have been immeasurable." Warren County Administrator John Taflan said, "We are glad to be able to put forward a 2026 budget that delivers the services that make Warren County a great place to live and visit, while continuing to keeping our county property tax rate among the lowest in New York state. Like every household and business, we have had to work through rising costs while revenue is hard to project, and we are gratified that this budget continues to provide the essential services that residents and visitors count on in Warren County. We thank Frank Thomas again for being a steady hand as County Budget Officer for many years, and we will miss his leadership in the future." The Board of Supervisors will consider adopting the tentative budget following the public hearing at the Nov. 21 Board of Supervisors meeting, which starts at 10 a.m. at Warren County Municipal Center. The Nov. 21 meeting will also be livestreamed and videoarchived on the Warren County YouTube page as well. You can find Budget Officer Thomas's presentation about the tentative budget online.

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Warren Co. schedules Nov. 21 public hearing for 2026 county budget

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