Monticello, NY – Via a 5-3 vote today, legislators approved the 2026 Sullivan County Budget. In favor were Nadia Rajsz, Matthew McPhillips, Brian McPhillips, Catherine Scott and Luis Alvarez. Opposed were Joe Perrello, Nicholas Salomone and Terry Blosser-Bernardo. Amanda Ward was unable to attend.
The $305,738,103 million budget comes with a 2% tax levy increase, under the State-mandated tax cap.
“This was the hardest budget I’ve ever had to work on as a legislator,” said Legislature Chair Nadia Rajsz. “In the short term, I am very pleased we were able to figure out a way to stay beneath the tax cap, but in the long term, it will be challenging.”
“This budget reflects what a responsible, collaborative government can accomplish. By working closely with my colleagues and County staff, we were able to reduce a proposed 9% tax increase to about 2%, coming in below the state tax cap and keeping affordability front and center for Sullivan County residents,” remarked District 1 Legislator Matt McPhillips. “At the same time, this budget supports living wages for County employees, strengthens public safety through our EMS fly car program and continues critical investments in roads, emergency response, and essential services. We are also delivering real value for taxpayers by bringing home a $30 million grant to expand fiber optic broadband access across the County, with construction already underway, and by funding a Countywide aquifer study that will help our municipalities plan for future growth in a smart, data-driven way. I’m grateful to my colleagues and our County workforce for their dedication throughout this process, and I’m proud to support a budget that balances affordability today with a responsible vision for Sullivan County’s future.”
“I believe everyone involved worked very hard to provide a budget that keeps the County moving forward. We were able to stay below the tax cap; however, I believe long term, based on conditions Federally and Statewide, this is going to make things harder and will not be in the best interests of the County,” stated District 3 Legislator Brian McPhillips, who chairs the Legislature’s Management & Budget Committee. “Our Division of Management and Budget did some top-notch work on the original proposed budget, and I believe the higher increase was necessary to run the County appropriately. That said, coming in at 2%, the remaining balance to the tax cap can be utilized in the 2027 budget, which gives us a year to project where the County will stand. In the meantime, the Legislators should remain very focused on any requests in 2026 that are not budgeted for, and I will be very reluctant to fill any additional positions or approve any non-budgeted items unless absolutely necessary.”
“My priority for this budget was to preserve vital services for the citizens of this County while also considering the concerns and feedback provided by the public,” said District 5 Legislator Cat Scott. “Still, we are facing a tough year ahead, and I will be closely guarding against spending beyond what was budgeted.”
“We worked really hard to get to this point,” remarked District 6 Legislator Luis Alvarez. “It’s a good budget, and I believe taxpayers will agree. We listened to what they were telling us.”
Highlights of the Tentative 2026 County Budget include:
- $15 million for road and bridgework throughout the County, approximately half of which will come from State and Federal sources
- $1.3 million for capital projects at SUNY Sullivan, including the installation of long-needed elevators in the Paul Gerry Fieldhouse
- $683,000 to create a state-of-the-art records sharing system amongst the District Attorney’s Office, the Division of Public Safety, the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office and local police agencies
- $500,000 to continue the highly successful and life-changing Sullivan Promise scholarship program, paying two years of tuition at SUNY Sullivan for local high school graduates
- $150,000 to design a revenue-generating composting facility near the Monticello Transfer Station
- $100,000 for the Sullivan County Land Bank to continue rehabbing dilapidated properties
- $50,000 to renovate the Department of Motor Vehicles office in Monticello, including a second camera to take license pictures
- $50,000 to rehab sections of the growing and popular O&W Rail Trail network
- $30,000 for a community water testing initiative
Full details of the adopted budget will be made available at www.sullivanny.gov (look for “Sullivan County 2026 Adopted Budget” tab in the lefthand margin).
