Chautauqua County executive proposes $309.7 million 2026 budget, holds tax rate steady below state cap

County Executive Paul M. Wendell Jr. on Wednesday presented a $309,700,000 tentative 2026 Chautauqua County budget that he said is structurally balanced, stays at or below New York State's property tax cap and preserves the county’s reserves.

Wendell framed the plan as fiscally conservative while maintaining services: “I am proposing a $309,700,000 budget,” he said, and added his administration will keep reserves between 5 and 15 percent of county appropriations as outlined in the county’s financial management plan.

The proposed budget would rely on a mix of revenues: Wendell said about 23 percent of the county’s governmental fund revenue comes from property taxes, 19 percent from state aid, 18 percent from state sales tax, 14 percent from designated revenues and 13 percent from federal aid. He said only about 1 percent of the budget is funded from the county’s fund balance.

Why it matters: Wendell said the plan preserves core services while responding to rising costs from unfunded state mandates and inflation. He identified mandated state programs —…