December 14th, 2021
Tonight, the Monroe County Legislature overwhelming passed, and I signed, the county’s 2022 budget.
This budget has common-sense solutions to the challenges we face and provides funding for the priorities we’ve been talking about since I took office nearly two years ago: investing in public safety and health; growing our economy and workforce; and rebuilding our community infrastructure.
The 2022 spending plan reduces the property tax rate to the lowest rate since 2003, and continues the responsible financial planning that led S&P Global Ratings earlier this year to call this county’s fiscal management “strong” for the first time in more than two decades
Additionally, the 2022 budget allocates additional funding to the Sheriff’s Office, Public Safety Department and District Attorney’s Office. To address the ongoing opioid crisis, the budget provides more funding to the Improving Addiction Coordination Team (IMPACT) so this life-saving service can be expanded to 24/7 coverage. Our Youth Bureau will have more dollars to initiate programs that help young people set goals and make positive choices in their lives.
With funding from this budget, we expand MPower, our partnership with Monroe Community College that trains people with essential skills for existing jobs and connects them with employers looking to hire now. Our RETAIN program will continue working with college graduates and employers to help keep graduates here in Monroe County where they can help grow our job market.
We also continue our investments in long-neglected Monroe County Parks lodges, shelters, roads and parking lots. As well, we push ahead with our ongoing renovation of the Seneca Park Zoo; ensure the Rochester Red Wings continue to have a home here by making necessary fixes to Frontier Field; and better support our small and mid-sized arts and cultural organizations.
This spending plan recognizes the stresses our community faces, and that the work the county does, the services it provides and the support it provides to people are critically important, especially as we look to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. This budget helps us Bring Monroe Back and Plan Forward.
I thank the Monroe County Legislature for supporting my responsible, realistic and common-sense spending plan.
