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Chautauqua County committee rejects 'Affordability Act' after fund‑balance and service‑cut debate
Summary
A proposed resolution combining a county sales‑tax cut, changed sales‑tax sharing, and use of $2M in fund balance to reduce the 2027 levy failed after staff said the county could face a multi‑million‑dollar shortfall and members warned cuts would require service reductions or tax increases later.
The Audit & Control Committee debated a multi‑part measure dubbed the “Affordability Act of 2026” for nearly three hours on Feb. 19 before voting the package down.
The resolution bundled three main elements: a proposed reduction in the county sales tax rate (the staff example lowered the rate to 7.75%), a proposal to share more of sales tax revenue with municipalities, and a plan to use $2 million of county fund balance to reduce the property‑tax levy back toward…
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