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Saratoga County Law & Finance Committee approves grants, budget reappropriations and sets public hearings
Summary
The committee approved minutes and a package of grants, contracts and budget amendments Feb. 12; members approved a $5 million NYSERDA grant for a biosolids project, advanced two local-law public hearings on senior tax exemptions and short‑term rental registration, and appointed Dawn Phillips as assigned counsel administrator.
The Saratoga County Law & Finance Committee met Feb. 12, 2026, and approved minutes and a series of consent items including grant acceptances, contract authorizations and budget amendments that county staff said will support public-safety programs, infrastructure projects and county operations.
Staff opened the meeting with a roll call and then detailed the public-safety items, including acceptance of a 2025–2026 ignition interlock device monitoring program grant from the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services that will increase fund balance by $20,427.77 and a related total grant amount of $43,818.77 to support the probation department. Staff also said the county will accept a $72,189 district attorney salary-aid grant from the same state division to offset DA office salary costs and will enter a one-year, $24,600 maintenance agreement with BEI Holdings Inc. for digital recording equipment at nine locations in the district attorney’s office.
"Thank you, chairman. Good afternoon, everybody," Staff Member said when presenting the items. After presentation, Supervisors approved the public-safety slate by voice vote.
In separate votes the committee approved: acceptance of a $174,531 amended allocation for the 2024–2026 shelter arrears eviction-prevention program from the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (with a $17,621 increase to fund balance to support Department of Social Services payments); a transfer of $95,000 from the open-space reserve to repay towns of Wilton and Greenfield related to the Clepitar project; and setting a March 11 public hearing on proposed boundary amendments to Saratoga County consolidated agricultural districts Nos. 1 and 2.
The committee approved a $16,181 agreement with McFarland Johnson Inc. for a land-use study at the Saratoga County Airport and an amendment to previously approved public-works funding for the Crossing Road/Anthony Kill bridge replacement project in the Town of Halfmoon, including a corrected budget amendment increase of $53,600 and an amended agreement with Creighton Manning Engineering & Surveying PLLC for additional services (agreement cited at $539,227). The committee also approved routine contract awards for uniform supply and telecom-related contracting noted in staff presentation.
In Law & Finance business, members authorized a $50,000 community-benefit agreement with the Saratoga County Foundation Inc. to support the 2026 Belmont on Broadway Festival, and the panel approved a recommendation to appoint Dawn Phillips as the county’s assigned counsel administrator effective Jan. 1, 2026. Staff introduced Local Law Intro. No. 1 (Print No. 1 of 2026) to increase the maximum Saratoga County property-tax exemption for qualifying seniors from 50% to 65% for residents with income below $30,000; staff said the change would apply to the county portion of property tax and would take effect for 2027 bills. A public hearing on that local law was scheduled for March 11.
Staff also introduced Introductory Local Law No. 2 (Print No. 1 of 2026) to establish a countywide short-term rental unit registry and impose the county’s 3% occupancy tax on short-term rental units using the same formula as the existing hotel/motel occupancy tax; a public hearing was scheduled for March 11 at 4:35 p.m.
The committee noted a reappropriation of unspent 2025 funds totaling $17,550,134.10 to the 2026 budget to continue projects and contracts not completed in 2025. Staff reported that the Sewer Commission approved three items Jan. 29, 2026, including acceptance of a Commercial and Industrial Carbon Challenge Program grant from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority in the amount of $5,000,000 to be used for the biosolids management facility project.
Committee members approved the Law & Finance slate, set the agenda for the full Board meeting scheduled Feb. 19, 2026, and adjourned.
What happens next: the public hearings on the proposed senior exemption increase and the short-term rental registry are scheduled for March 11, 2026; several contracts and grant acceptances now proceed to implementation steps identified by staff.
