December 11th, 2024

The $1.5 billion budget reduces the County tax rate to a historic low and continues funding for key county initiatives

Monroe County Executive Adam Bello’s 2025 budget proposal was unanimously approved (29-0) tonight by the County Legislature. The $1.5 billion budget supports the Bello administration priorities in public safety, public health and wellness, and quality of life improvements, while setting the lowest property tax rate in this county’s recorded history.

This is County Executive Bello’s third consecutive budget proposal to receive unanimous support from the Monroe County Legislature, an achievement that has not been accomplished in over two decades. Additionally, County Executive Bello is just the second County Executive to receive unanimous approval of three separate budget proposals.

“The approved 2025 Monroe County Budget is a reflection of my administration’s priorities and underscores my commitment to providing essential services like public safety, public health, and quality of life improvements. We are making major new investments in a centralized arraignment part court, child care assistance, and in our fight against the overdose crisis impacting our community,” said County Executive Bello. “This responsive and responsible budget reduces our county tax rate to a historic low and will serve as a roadmap for a thriving and equitable future for Monroe County. Thank you to the Monroe County Legislature for their confidence and unanimously passing my 2025 County spending plan.”

County Executive Bello’s approved 2025 budget continues to build on the sound financial practices that have resulted in the county’s seven credit rating upgrades since 2021. Overall, the full value tax rate falls by 9.3%, or $0.62, to $6.03 per $1,000 of assessed value – a historic low in the approved 2025 County spending plan. Including this budget, the Bello administration has reduced the tax rate by 31% over the past five years.

“I am proud of the adoption of the 2025 Monroe County Budget, which reflects an unwavering commitment to strengthening and investing in our community," said President of the Legislature Yversha Román. "This budget includes a 5% increase in overall spending that prioritizes investments in public safety, economic development, county employees, public assistance, and community infrastructure. All made possible while continuing to cut the property tax rate for Monroe County residents. These strategic allocations are designed to enhance the quality of life for all residents, ensuring a safer and more prosperous future for Monroe County."

“The 2025 budget we approved tonight continues this administration's record of delivering for the community. It emphasizes public safety, public health, and services to veterans and families. All of this is done in bipartisan fashion and in a way that respects the impact the County budget can have on taxpayers by approving the lowest property tax rate in recorded history,” added Majority Leader Michael Yudelson.

Public Safety:

• Establishes the Centralized Arraignment Court Part (CAP), which improves fairness by holding morning and evening arraignments each day, ensuring individuals are more quickly arraigned. CAP will also allow our police and law enforcement officers to return to their patrols more quickly following an arrest, because once officers transport individuals to a centralized booking location, they will not need to wait with them, and can promptly be back on the road serving their community.
• Provides a $280,000 increase in the Office of Probation and Community Corrections to fund the addition of four new Probation Officers, which will bolster the Juvenile Enhanced Diversion Stabilization program.  Youth actively enrolled in the JEDS program have a 3% re-offense rate.
• Creates a Public Safety Accreditation and Compliance Manager to assist divisions within the Department of Public Safety with policy and procedure development and compliance. Additionally, this position will work with the Monroe County Office of Probation to create and develop a probation accreditation model that can be shared with other Probation departments across the state, making Monroe County a benchmark for delivery of Probation services.

Public Health:

• Continues supporting efforts to combat the opioid crisis by funding the IMPACT team, the 24/7 Opioid Crisis hotline, and additional Naloxone distribution boxes throughout the community to help prevent overdose deaths. It also proposes a new investment of opioid settlement funds into a public education campaign designed to reduce stigma, combat addiction misinformation, prevent accidental overdoses, and continue to improve awareness of Naloxone availability.
• Invests nearly $2M in new agency contracts to support a wide variety of services including: re-entry programs, crisis transportation, financial assistance for Substance Use Disorder medication, grief counseling, and the continuation of our BIPOC Peer Advocate Certification program.
• Strengthens our commitment to supporting our veterans by expanding the popular Nature Therapy program. Two part time positions will transition to full time positions, allowing the Veterans Service Agency to double the amount of cohorts and access, and reduce the waitlist.  VSA will also open two new offices, one in Greece and one in Webster, increasing access to veterans who live on either side of the county.

Quality of Life:

• Increases daycare funding to account for a projected increase in enrollment and need, ensuring families have access to childcare services they count on every day. Also maintains the 1% parent fee and the presumptive eligibility program.
• Continues this administration’s commitment to supporting small- and mid-sized arts groups, and increases support for Visit Rochester, the Seneca Park Zoo, Innovative Field, and other directly-funded agencies while also adding support for the Lilac Festival, the Veterans’ Day Parade, and the Tim Horton’s Iceplex.
• Features additional upgrades and renovations to Monroe County Parks, including drainage improvements to Durand Eastman Golf Course, remodeling of Kanatota Lodge in Webster Park, rehabilitation of the Lehigh Valley Trail in the town of Rush, and installation and recognition of new trails in Northampton Park, Greece Canal Park, and Abraham Lincoln Park.
• Creates a pilot program to provide matching funds of up to $5,000 for local school districts wishing to implement new initiatives to divert food waste from landfills. This program will not only improve our environment, but will also engage our youngest residents on the importance of protecting our future.