ALBANY - Reduced costs for safety net programs, an expected sales tax increase and more revenue from boarding immigrant detainees could cut Albany County’s 2019 budget by nearly $5 million.

The county Legislature Friday said its Audit and Finance Committee approved amendments to County Executive Daniel McCoy’s budget, which cuts the property tax levy about 5 percent.

“Every recommended action we propose to take has a logic and methodology,” said committee Chairman Charles Dawson, a Democrat. “We can reduce taxes and make strategic investments because the county is benefiting from strong growth in sales tax and other revenues.”

The cuts would mark the first property tax levy reduction for the county since 2007. The aggressive changes come ahead of next year's general elections for the county.

Previous years' budgets under McCoy's administration have stayed under the state-mandated 2 percent tax cap and generally kept the tax rate the same, or slightly decreased, due to rising property values and growth.

Most of the savings comes from a $2.1 million reduction in costs for providing safety net services to individuals and family who don’t meet the requirements for federal public assistance; $1.4 million increase in expected sales tax revenues; and a $1.1 million increase in boarding detainees at the Albany County Jail, according to the changes.

Other tweaks include salary increases for staff in the county legislature and sheriff’s office as well as contractual raises for employees at the county Nursing Home. It also cuts funding for 42 positions at the nursing home, including 25 full-time budgeted positions ranging from registered nurses to a social worker assistant. No jobs will be cut.

Legislators want to spend more for safety along Albany Shaker Road, help libraries meet needs of their users, focus on transportation assistance for seniors to get to social functions as well as finding other ways to increase the county's quality of life. For example, funds for the social transportation program in the Department for Aging were increased $6,700.

When McCoy released his $711.1 million budget proposal in October, it carried a $32.5 million increase in spending. The total amount to be collected in taxes was $94.1 million – a 1.74 percent increase – but growth in the levy and some spending being state reimbursable assured some would see a decrease on their bills.

The overall tax rate was projected to fall slightly – from $3.72 to $3.61 per $1,000 of assessed value – amounting to a few dollars less for the average homeowner with a house assessed at $150,000.

“Our targeted 5 percent property tax cut will return millions of dollars into the pockets of county residents and businesses,” said Republican Legislator Mark Grimm, deputy chair of the finance committee. “They will have the freedom to save, spend or invest it as they wish. We have worked together in a bipartisan way to let county taxpayers share in the benefits of a strong economy.”

It was unclear Friday what the legislature’s budget changes could do to the overall tax rate.

A $5 million reduction would bring the total property tax levy to roughly $89.1 million, the lowest total tax levy since 2013, based on a comparison of tax levies from previous budget years.

County legislators said they were able to make these adjustments based on feedback from department heads and ensuring the spending plan was an “accurate reflection of operations.”

Of the $1.1 million in revenue from detaining immigrants, $170,000 of that amount will go to providing immigrant legal services, a plan that was announced earlier this week. The rest of the revenue will be used to lower the levy.

“I am pleased to work together with McCoy and the Albany County Legislature to help provide much needed tax relief for Albany County property owners,” Sheriff Craig Apple said. “By utilizing revenue through boarding inmates at the Albany County Correctional Facility, they have the potential to decrease property taxes by 5 percent, all while continuing to provide the highest level of public safety possible.”

Legislature spokesperson Nicole Antonucci said the current budget amendments passed by committee members only represent about $4.3 million in reductions. The remainder will come from expected utility savings – a change that must be voted on next week, she said.

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