Allegany County is refusing to reveal how many employees have been included in its tentative 2024 county budget, expected to be voted on Wednesday by the Board of Legislators. Board Chairman W. Brooke Harris of Alfred made the determination in response to a formal appeal of a Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request by Allegany … Read more
BREAKING – EXCLUSIVE: Allegany County officials apparently are contending that a proposal for a more than 40 percent personal wage increase for each of its legislators next year magically appeared in a board resolution last month which set last week’s public hearing on the 2024 tentative budget. County Board Chairman W. Brooke Harris of Alfred, … Read more
Allegany County lawmakers will meet tomorrow morning to begin a push to allocate more than $4.4 million in various types of funds, including more than one-third of its federal pandemic revenues. An agenda for a Board of Legislators meeting was disseminated shortly before 5PM today, with $4,420,760 of proposed expenditures to be moved to the … Read more
BREAKING: Allegany County residents are being invited to comment Thursday night on a $145.5 million budget for next year, with little to go on, while county lawmakers themselves appear to be grasping for information on how to use nearly $42.5 million in surplus and avoid giving any of it back to property taxpayers. County Attorney … Read more
BREAKING: Allegany County legislators appear to be coming in the back door on a proposed personal wage increase next year of $3,500 each, or more than 40 percent. In a little-known action, which appears to have been shrouded originally in secrecy, county lawmakers, by a split vote, have included the salary increase, to $12,000 annually, … Read more
Allegany County legislators appear poised to overspend this year’s general fund budget by $16 million due to a windfall surplus from 2022 rather than using it for property tax relief. Board Chairman W. Brooke Harris of Alfred told the few people attending last night’s District V legislators meeting at the Town of Allen that the … Read more
EXCLUSIVE: Over one-third of taxpayers in Allegany County towns will pay more in county property taxes next year under a 2024 tentative budget while $16 million, or a number equal to nearly 53 percent of the entire tax levy, appears to be proposed for diversion to one or more unnamed purposes. An initial analysis of … Read more
A Belmont county legislator apparently won’t be supporting any move to provide significant tax relief to property taxpayers, despite a bloated surplus which exceeds one-and-a-half times what the county already expects to collect from owners each year. Legislator Dwight (Mike) Healy abruptly exited his chair and effectively adjourned a public meeting of District II legislators … Read more
EXCLUSIVE: Allegany County’s property tax rate is the second or third highest in the United States by one measure as county legislators continue to put away millions – over 160 percent more last year than was levied against taxpayers. An Allegany County Hope Community News compilation from different data sources appears clear that Allegany County … Read more
EXCLUSIVE: Allegany County’s state legislative representatives are being asked again to work at retaining the county’s third highest sales tax rate in the state at the same time as the government’s surplus escalated by more than $16 million, or nearly 50 percent, last year. The new unappropriated fund balance of nearly $48.8 million is enough … Read more
Several Allegany County school districts will be combining student art shows, STEAM exhibits, book and wellness fairs, and even an ice cream social with Tuesday votes on their annual operating budgets and school board members. Allegany Hope will be among community resources organizations at a combination art, STEAM and wellness fair from 6PM-8PM May 16 … Read more
The Allegany County Board of Legislators abruptly closed its doors to the public today to discuss an unknown scope of county finances which appeared to range from millions of dollars to the entire county budget. Allegany Hope Community News Editor Casey Jones challenged the action as being unlawful as the disjointed proceedings jumped from an … Read more
Wellsville and Andover officials are pushing a proposal for Allegany County, NY, to share its rapidly increasing sales tax revenue, which has the potential for exceeding its total property tax levy this year, with local governments. District IV county legislators, representing the two towns comprising nearly one-fifth of the county’s population, indicated agreement this week … Read more
BREAKING: The Allegany County, NY, government workforce suddenly became beneficiaries of a half million dollars in bonuses this afternoon when county lawmakers approved a previously unannounced package which appears to have violated State Open Meetings Law requirements. Ways and Means Committee Chair Brooke Harris of Alfred introduced the topic at the end of the regular … Read more
The Town of Wellsville Airport appears on its way to receiving a $50,000 contribution from Allegany County, NY, next year after county legislators again punted a decision as to whether it should provide funds without knowing financial need, if it should occur each year, and a determination as to its benefit to the entire county. … Read more
UPDATE: Allegany County, NY, taxpayers appear to have lost the opportunity for a sizable tax cut today after county lawmakers spent some 15 minutes discussing, and then passing over, use of a small portion of its large fund balance to lower property taxes for all towns in the county next year and otherwise ignored use … Read more
BREAKING: Allegany County, NY, legislators adjourned shortly before noon today, without taking any substantive action to further reduce the county tax rate for next year’s operating budget. Lawmakers spent some 15 minutes discussing whether they should use surplus funds to create a property tax savings for all towns in the county, 10 of which will … Read more
BREAKING: Allegany County, NY, legislators are expected to determine this week whether they will continue to add more money to the county’s surplus account or provide a significant reduction in property or sales tax, after receiving a report today that county sales tax receipts for this year are likely to be over $5 million more … Read more
Allegany County, NY, legislators are being urged to appropriate $10 million from surplus funds to significantly reduce property taxes, the sales tax or a combination of the two. Allegany Hope Executive Director Casey Jones, who also is editor of its Community News, made the comments at a public hearing last night on the 2023 tentative … Read more
BREAKING: Allegany County, NY, government apparently is reverting back to providing limited information to the public about its tentative multi-million dollar budgets prior to public hearings on the documents. The Board of Legislators will hold a 7PM Thursday listening session on its $131.75 million tentative operating budget for next year which would provide a 3.07 … Read more