Schuyler County Legislature to Hold Public Hearings and Consider 2027 Budget at Nov. 9 Meeting

The Schuyler County Legislature is scheduled to hold public hearings and consider adoption of a $68,034,071 budget for 2027 at its regular meeting Monday, Nov. 9.

The session is set to begin at 6:30 p.m. in Room 120 of the Schuyler County Human Services Complex, 323 Owego St., Montour Falls, a change from the usual location at the Schuyler County Courthouse Complex in Watkins Glen. Public hearings on the tentative 2027 budget and related local laws are planned first, followed by the regular meeting at which lawmakers may vote to adopt the spending plan.

Resolutions on the agenda call for determining each town’s contribution to county taxes and issuing certificates to the towns; adopting the Schuyler County budget for 2027; and appropriating the amounts listed in the budget under the “2027” column.

The meeting agenda, reviewed by the Legislative Resolution Review Committee, also includes public hearings and potential adoption of local laws setting salaries for certain elected officials and public officers for fiscal year 2027, along with a local law establishing a sustainable energy loan program known as Open C-PACE.

Other items include authorizing a five-year statewide interoperable communications grant of $725,734 from the state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services; accepting a sealed bid and contract with Swarthout Recycling LLC for bridge and infrastructure repair work; renewing an intermunicipal agreement with Yates County for code enforcement services; and supporting “Operation Green Light” to honor county veterans and military service members.

Additional resolutions address contract amendments, grant acceptances, budget transfers for medical supplies and technology licenses, management salaries for 2027, and assessment rolls and tax levies for the Lamoka/Waneta Lakes Protection and Rehabilitation District.

The Legislature consists of eight part-time members elected from districts. Regular meetings are typically held the second Monday of each month.

Schuyler County to set Nov. 9 budget hearing, introduce C-PACE energy loan program

The Schuyler County Legislature is expected to set a Nov. 9 public hearing on the tentative 2027 county budget and introduce a local law establishing a property-assessed clean energy financing program when it meets Tuesday (October 13).

The agenda, shaped by the Management & Finance Committee and Legislative Resolution Review Committee meetings on Wednesday (Oct. 7), prioritizes the sustainable energy measure known as Energize NY Open C-PACE alongside the budget process and authorizing on-call pay for assistant district attorneys.

Lawmakers plan to schedule the budget hearing for 6:30 p.m. Nov. 9 in Room 120 of the Human Services Complex, 323 Owego St., Montour Falls. The hearing would be followed by the regular legislative meeting, where the board could adopt the 2027 budget.

The legislature is set to introduce Local Law No. D (Intro.) of 2026 to create the Energize NY Open C-PACE Financing Program. The measure would allow commercial and multifamily property owners in Schuyler County to finance energy efficiency improvements and renewable energy systems through long-term loans repaid via special charges assessed on the benefited properties. The Energy Improvement Corporation would administer the program on the county’s behalf under Article 5-L of the New York General Municipal Law. A public hearing on the local law is also planned, positioning the county to join other New York localities offering this financing tool aimed at reducing energy costs and supporting clean energy projects without requiring up-front capital from property owners.

Another resolution would authorize on-call pay for assistant district attorneys providing weekend and holiday coverage at $400 per day, or $800 per weekend, from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2027.

Additional items call for introducing local laws setting 2027 salaries for elected officials, including the sheriff at $119,242 and county clerk at $93,517, and for public officers such as the public health director, personnel officer, public defender and others, with public hearings also set for Nov. 9.

Other business includes authorizing a two-year Victim of Crime Act grant totaling about $551,771; approving the 2027 STOP-DWI plan; authorizing a $731,500 purchase offer for property at 118 Schuyler St., Montour Falls; setting a hearing on the Lamoka/Waneta Lakes Protection and Rehabilitation District assessment roll; declaring surplus vehicles; and handling various contracts, budget amendments and appointments.

The regular meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Legislative Chambers at the Schuyler County Courthouse Complex. The meeting is set for Tuesday, instead of the normal Monday schedule, due to the Columbus Day holiday.

Second Amendment Legal Update, June 2026

A monthly update, prepared for the Schuyler County Chapter of S.C.O.P.E. NY, a statewide 501(c)4 organization dedicated to preserving the 2nd Amendment rights for the residents of New York State. For a complete copy of this month’s report, click here.

Crime, courts addressed in New York State Budget

Various aspects of the recently passed New York State Budget address issues related to crime and the courts. They include:

Bail Reform. The Budget expands the number of offenses for which bail may be considered. The Budget also directs the court to consider the following list of factors when setting bail:

• the defendant’s activities and history;
• the charges against the defendant;
• past criminal convictions;
• any previous violation of an order of protection;
• a defendant’s potential flight risk;
• a defendant’s ability to post bail without undue hardship;
• a defendant’s history of use or possession of a firearm; and
• whether the charge is alleged to have caused “serious harm” to an individual or group of individuals.

Discovery Reform. District Attorneys are no longer required to provide automatic discovery for cases involving:

• a simplified information charging traffic infraction; or
• an information charging one or more petty offenses defined by a village, town, city, or county municipal code that do not carry a statutorily authorized sentence of imprisonment (defendants may still file a motion for disclosure of evidence in such cases).

In addition, prosecutors will be allowed to file a supplemental certificate of compliance for delayed disclosure of discovery materials.

Violent Crime Initiatives. In addition to establishing an Office for Gun Violence Protection, the Budget includes a variety of program funding purporting to address what the legislature considers “gun violence,” including among others:

• $18.2 million for the Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) initiative;
• $13.1 million to expand the use of Community Stabilization Units that partner State Troopers with local law enforcement agencies;
• $21 million for community-based gun violence response programs (SNUG);
• $25 million for the Securing Communities Against Hate Crimes (SCAHC) program;
• $10 million in new funding for pretrial services to help divert people from unnecessary detention while also keeping communities safe; and
• $20 million in new funding for crime reduction programming in those communities most impacted by gun violence

.

More on the New York State budget can be found here.

New York expands Shock incarceration eligibility, effective May 12.

New York State lawmakers have expanded eligibility for the Shock incarceration program to include persons convicted of certain forms of second-degree burglary and second-degree robbery.

The Shock program provides selected inmates a special six-month program of shock incarceration, that stresses a highly structured routine of discipline, intensive regimentation, exercise and work therapy, combined with substance abuse treatment, education, pre-release counseling and life skills counseling.

A person becomes eligible for Shock when he or she is within 3 years of parole or conditional release, and eligibility is determined on a rolling basis (i.e., the initial sentence can be longer than 3 years).

The changes apply to judicial Shock orders (where the sentencing judge expressly directs that the defendant be enrolled in Shock) and discretionary Shock placement (where the Department of Corrections selects for participation). Judicial Shock orders are otherwise available only for drug and marijuana offenses.

These changes go into effect on May 12, 2019 and do not depend on the date of the offense.

For more information on New York State's shock incarceration program, click here.

Schuyler County Budget Public Hearing: Tuesday November 13

There will be a Public Hearing held in regard to the 2019 County Budget in Room 120 of the Human Services Complex, 323 Owego Street, Montour Falls, NY, 14865 on Tuesday, November 13, 2018 at 6:30 p.m., to be followed by a Regular Meeting of the Legislature.

The tentative budget is available online.

For more information, click here.

Schuyler County Passes 2017 Budget with 5% Tax Rate Reduction

WENY News:

Residents living in Schuyler County have something to look forward to for 2017. On Monday, Schuyler County officials held a public hearing on next year's budget.

The 2017 budget is just over $46 million, and calls for a tax rate reduction of %5. This means, for every $1,000 assessed property value, homeowners will see about $50 a year in savings.

During the public hearing, one audience member asked if there would be any staff cuts. County Administrator and Budget Office Tim O'Hearn said no. Legislators then passed the budget, unanimously.

The department of largest growth is public safety - something O'Hearn explains is due to increased trends of higher drug activity and arrests.

This is the fifth straight year Schuyler County had a reduction in the tax rate.