By RICK MILLER
Olean Star
LITTLE VALLEY — Cattaraugus County lawmakers unanimously approved a record $293.7 million county budget for 2025 on Tuesday.
The budget contains a 7.29% decrease in the full value tax rate to $8.29 per 1,000. It is the sixth consecutive year the full value tax rate has dropped.
The tax levy, or amount to be raised by property taxes increased 2.36% to $58.9 million. County legislators voted to use $2.7 million from the general fund to reduce the tax levy.
Legislators Kelly Andreano of Olean and Laurie Hunt of Salamanca were absent from the vote.
The budget cut 14 positions, including 13 county employees in the kitchen at the Pines Nursing Home in Machias.
After Tuesday’s budget vote, Legislature Vice Chairman Michael Brisky of Franklinville said two kitchen employees were retiring and the others either got other jobs within county government or will work for the contractor that won the bid, Good Times of Olean. Good Times already operates the Olean Pines kitchen. The change amounts to a $400,000 county savings.
The budget includes a $120,000 loan to the City of Olean for the Olean Area Transportation System (OATS), and a $300,000 administrative fee for transportation management by Allegany County. The city had announced earlier in the year they would no longer support the OATS buses over delays in reimbursement.
There is also $95,000 in the budget for improvements at the city-owned Olean-Cattaraugus County Airport, the same as the past two budget years.
City of Olean taxpayers are looking at a 2.23% percent decrease in the country tax rate to $11.20 per 1,000.
Twenty-four of the 34 municipalities — 32 towns and two cities — will see a tax rate decrease in the 2025 budget.
The Town of Olean Tax rate is up 6.19% to $.16.93 per 1,000.
Others include: Allegany – down 0.70%; Portville – up 3.73%, Hinsdale – up 1.4 and City of Salamanca – down 0.91%.
Brisky, who is also Finance Committee chairman, said the budget was more challenging than in recent years and there were some hard decisions.
In an effort to streamline services, the Department of Aging will absorb some of the Youth Bureau services. Other youth services will taken over by the Social Services and Probation departments.
Brisky and Chairman Andrew Burr of Gowanda praised the budget staff, department heads, County Administrator Jack Searles and his staff with preparing the budget.
Brisky noted that the county is retiring $5.8 million in debt this year and adding $4.4 million in new bonding in 2025.
The budget includes $25.9 million in capital spending — $20.7 million in roads, bridges and culverts, and $5.1 million for buildings and grounds, where $1.1 million for county dams, $1 million for Onoville, $410,000 for refuse, $310,000 for a salt/sand shed, $92,500 for the Stone House, $405,000 for the County Office Building in Olean, $150,000 for the Little Valley DPW Building, $161,000 for the jail and $723,000 for the County Center.
This budget chart shows municipalities, their 2025 tax rate (per 1,000) and the increase or decrease:
Allegany — $12.50, -0.70%
Ashford — $8.29, -7.28%
Carrollton — $13.81, 3.62%
Coldspring — $8.29, -7.3%
Conewango — $19.97, -7.25%
Dayton – $9.21, -6.26%
East Otto – $8.29, -7.29%
Ellicottville — $15.21, 10.58%
Farmersville — $8.29, -38.66%
Franklinville — $8.29, -58.26%
Freedom — $8.29, -7.25%
Great Valley — $13.16, 5.97%
Hinsdale — $12.95, 1.4%
Humphrey — $13.16 1.55%
Ischua — $12.951.42%
Leon — $12.37, -8.4%
Little Valley — $18.42, -0.97%
Lyndon — $12.19, -0.46%
Machias — $8.29, -7.25%
Mansfield — $10.11, 0.63%
Napoli — $8.92, -7.17%
New Albion — $8.29, -7.25%
Olean (City) — $11.20, -2.23%
Olean (Town) — $16.93, 6.19%
Otto — $8.29, -7.29%
Perrysburg — $8.29, -7.21%
Persia — $8.29, -7.17%
Portville —$14.05, 3.73%
Randolph — $15.49, -2.96%
Red House — $8.29, -7.29%
Salamanca (City) — $70.68, -0.91%
Salamanca (Town) — $12.95, -2.95%
South Valley — $15.94, 3.4%
Yorkshire — $75.39, -7.24%
