By RICK MILLER
Olean Star
LITTLE VALLEY — Cattaraugus County Legislature committees completed preliminary review of the tentative $296.7 million budget for 2026 on Tuesday.
The Finance Committee meets today (Wednesday) at 4 p.m. to approve budgets adopted by the Labor Relations, Human Services, Development and Agriculture, County Operations/Public Safety and Public Works committees.
A public hearing on the tentative budget is scheduled for 6:31 p.m. in the James J. Snyder Legislative Chamber on the third floor of the County Center.
After about three hours of budget review by committees over two days, no changes were made in the budget presented Nov. 5 by County Administrator Kelly Reed.
The 2026 tax levy, or amount to be raised by property taxes, will increase $1.5 million, or 2.58% to $60.4 million. The full value tax rate will decrease 1.76%, going from $8.29 per $1,000 to $8.15 per $1,000.
The top 11 state mandated programs in the tentative budget account for more than 48% of the tax levy. Included are: Medicaid, $21.5 million, 35%; pensions, $12.1 or 20%; public safety net, $3.6 million, 6%; community college, $2.8 million, 4.7%, and legal defense of the indigent, $2.7 million.
The topic that’s not being discussed is that the budget abolishes 84 positions, 22 of which are currently filled. There are also 10 new positions created across four departments in the new budget: two in the District Attorney’s Office, one in the Public Defender’s Office, two in the Sheriff’s Office and five in Aging and Youth Services. The 10 new positions and benefits are budgeted for just over $1 million.
The jobs being abolished stretch across four pages. A majority of the jobs being abolished are vacant. The cuts also reflect a downward trend in revenue for departments involved.
In the Health Department, 16 of the 26 jobs being eliminated are currently occupied, although four of the 16 are retiring. The positions include community health nurse, home health aide and keyboard specialist clerks and aides at the Olean Pines. Some will be moving to other posts in the county including centralized accounting.
County union officials have made no public comment on the job cuts.
County officials believe after employees bump down into other positions in the county, about five people will be without a job under the plan.
Last month county lawmakers approved a change in retirees’ health insurance by moving them to a customized Medicare Advantage plan for a $2.5 million budget savings in 2026.
The county’s Machias Pines nursing home will receive a $833,688 loan from the Olean Pines reserves. The Olean Pines will also use $61,322 from its reserves to balance its budget. The nursing homes will rely on $8.8 million in IGT funding which requires a match by the county of $4.4 million.
A separate capital budget of almost $33 million will also be voted on by legislators tonight. It includes $10.8 million for county roads, $15.3 million from federal aid and Bridge NY, $2.3 million for state culvert aid, $2.2 million for buildings and grounds, and $890,000 for hazard mitigation.
The county will issue about $6.5 million in serial bonds to pay for the share of projects that are not already funded.
Included in the County Legislature’s $595,640 budget are salaries for officers including:
- Chairman, $23,710.
- Vice Chairman, $13,729.
- Majority Leader, $13,729.
- Minority Leader, $13,729.
- County Legislators, $12,481 (each).
