TROY – Economic growth in southern Rensselaer County and rising sales tax revenues, will mean no tax hike to pay for a proposed $346.7 million budget, even though spending would rise by 1.9 percent, County Executive Steven McLaughlin said Friday.

Looking beyond his first budget as county executive, McLaughlin said his administration will work to develop a new government center while partnering with the city of Troy, and deliver on a campaign promise to build a new fire training center in North Greenbush.

“The 2019 budget proposed is introduced at a unique time in our county’s history. We are now seeing tremendous opportunities for growth and renewal in Rensselaer County, with projects that have the opportunity to dramatically strengthen our economy and provide opportunities for future generations,” McLaughlin said.

The proposed budget maintains the tax levy at $64.4 million for 2019, the same as in 2018. The average tax rate will be $5.69 per $1,000 of assessed valuation. The actual tax rate in each town and city varies according to how close to market rate values properties are assessed. The county tax rates range from a low $5.91 per $1,000 in Troy to a high of $66.99 per $1,000 in Grafton.

McLaughlin delivered his 30-minute-long budget talk in the County Legislature chambers on the third floor of the county office building at 1600 Seventh Ave. that he wants to see torn down for redevelopment.

McLaughlin said it was too early in the process to place any portion of the hunt for a new government site in the 2019 budget. He said he hopes to move at full speed on the proposal next year, with preliminary work starting in the last few months of 2018. He envisions securing shared services funding from the state to develop a joint county-city government building. The current county building could be the site of apartments and commercial investment.

The fire training center also is not included in the proposed budget, which now goes to the County Legislature for review. McLaughlin said he anticipates the county taking advantage of its bond rating to secure financing for a new center.

“Plans are for replacement of the training tower in 2019 with estimates for costs to be under way in the coming months,” the county executive said, adding money is available from previous budgets to help with the project.

The county has seen economic growth spurred by the expansion of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals in East Greenbush and the proposal by Amazon to build a warehouse in Schodack. McLaughlin said the warehouse project shows the potential for encouraging more growth along Route 9 in Schodack.

The county also enjoyed a 6 percent growth in sales tax revenues in 2018, McLaughlin said. The proposed budget projects a 5 percent growth in sales tax income.

Minority Leader Peter Grimm, D-Troy, said the county is reaping the benefits from efforts begun years ago. Growth can take decades to develop, Grimm said, noting how redevelopment efforts in Troy begun 30 years ago started to blossom over the last decade into the city’s renaissance.

“I was happy to see him recognize the type of growth in the direction the county has been going in. The corridors through North Greenbush and elsewhere are direct results of how people look at Rensselaer County now,” Grimm said.

County Legislature Chairman Michael Stammel, R-Rensselaer, said, “We will continue to work with the executive on this budget to achieve more cost savings.