The Warren County Finance and Budget Committee voted to approve a bundle of 2025 budget transfers and related actions at its meeting Tuesday, including corrections to the tax roll and chargebacks to towns, adjustments tied to a national settlement with Juul, grant reimbursements for bulletproof vests, naloxone purchases for the county jail and the establishment of additional 2025 road projects.

The measures matter because they change revenue or expense recognition in the 2025 county budget and move existing reserves and grant receipts into operational accounts so departments can complete purchases or cover unexpected costs.

The committee approved corrections to property assessments and chargebacks to towns that the treasurer described as routine and recurring. “You see this every year,” the County Treasurer said, explaining that corrections fall into two categories: court-ordered assessment changes and clerical or state-owned land adjustments. The treasurer told the committee the corrections on the last page of the agenda totaled about $91,000 in assessment corrections, and the chargebacks to towns were approximately $411,000. A supervisor asked, “What is SCAR?”; the treasurer replied that it relates to court-ordered assessment adjustments under Article 7 proceedings.

Separately the committee approved a request to rescind Resolution No. 276 of 2025 related to the county’s insurance letter-of-credit requirement after the county’s insurer, Marshall & Sterling, informed staff the higher letter-of-credit was no longer required. The committee recorded the rescission as part of routine insurance-administration housekeeping.

Public-safety and public-health measures approved included a $10,844.33 amendment to reflect receipt of a Bulletproof Vest Partnership reimbursement for ballistic vest purchases for the sheriff’s department, and a $7,280 amendment from the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports to buy naloxone and related supplies for people incarcerated at the Warren County Correctional Facility. Public-health staff told the committee the naloxone funds are 100% state-funded and intended to purchase opioid-overdose reversal medication for use in the jail.

The committee also voted to recognize a reduction in anticipated Juul-settlement funding for 2025. Public-health staff said the county originally budgeted to recognize settlement proceeds over multiple years but adjusted revenue to reflect the amount the county will actually receive in 2025; the reduction in recognized revenue was $238,677.64.

Public works received approval to establish additional 2025 road projects listed in the agenda. Department of Public Works staff said the board is reallocating money already transferred earlier in the year to fund crack-sealing and guide-rail projects; the action did not add new money to the county budget but moved appropriations between projects so crews can proceed.

The committee approved several personnel- and department-level appropriations: a $23,500 contingent transfer to human resources to cover increased hospitalization costs tied to COVID-related claims; an appropriation of $39,000 from the computer reserve fund to buy computers, microphones and related equipment for multiple departments; a small transfer of $175 to cover an overtime shortage; and a $10,000 transfer from contingency to cover county attorney legal transcript fees tied to outside counsel.

Finally, the committee approved a $4,227.05 appropriation from the property-and-casualty insurance reserve to replace rabies vaccine and human vaccines lost when a refrigerator failed in the public-health preventive programs account.

Most motions were moved and seconded on the record and approved by voice vote with committee members answering “Aye.” Where a motion was identified in the minutes, it was recorded as moved by Supervisor Mayday and seconded by Supervisor Driscoll (for example, approval of the minutes and several appropriations). Several items were introduced by specific supervisors as noted in the agenda and approved without recorded opposition.

Minutes show the committee heard these items in sequence, then moved to adjourn after department updates and scheduling for future meetings.