The Seneca County Board of Supervisors officially passed the 2025 budget, ensuring the continuation of essential services and fiscal responsibility for the residents of Seneca County. In a release announcing the passing, the county stated the spending plan prioritizes critical investments in public safety, infrastructure, and community development while maintaining a balanced approach to taxation and spending. The County said some of the highlights from this year’s budget include:
- Vital funding for local law enforcement and emergency services to support public safety and first responders.
- Infrastructure improvements with continued investment in the county’s water and sewer systems
- Support for local economic development initiatives, including programs aimed at supporting small businesses and job creation.
- Funding for community services including mental health and social services to ensure that the county’s most vulnerable populations receive necessary assistance.
“Local governments across the nation are facing unprecedented economic challenges, and Seneca County is no exception. While we have worked hard to minimize the impact on taxpayers, the increased costs of providing essential services and maintaining county operations have made adjustments necessary,” said Chairman Enslow.
“We worked hard to put the best budget forward for 2025,” added Enslow. “This budget reflects the needs of our community while maintaining fiscal prudence. Adjustments made to the tentative budget resulted in a decrease of $1,904,623 bringing the approved tax increase down from 26.7% to 9.2%. This equals an annual tax increase of $40.30 per $130,000 assessed value or $310.00 total increase per $1,000,000 assessed value. We’ve tried hard to ensure that we’re investing in areas that will have the most impact for our residents, and we remain committed to keeping Seneca County a great place to live, work, and raise a family.”
“Being part of the Budget Task Force was a challenging and enlightening experience. Our role was to identify and evaluate options for the Board of Supervisors to consider, providing them with the necessary information to make decisions on what would or would not be included in the final adopted budget for 2025. While the process required careful analysis, our focus was on presenting realistic, well-considered options. Ultimately, the full Board had the responsibility to make the final decisions that would shape the county’s priorities moving forward.” said Beth Partee, Chair of the Seneca County Board’s Ways and Means Committee.
“I was honored to be asked to serve on the budget task force. It was an eye-opening experience for me into the complexity of the county budget. The task force was not tasked with deciding the budget, but rather to put together options for the entire board to decide on which direction they felt was best. I believe we succeeded in that and gave the board what we felt were the best options moving forward.” said Michael Rhinehart, Chair of the Seneca County Board of Supervisors Public Works Committee.
“The 2025 budget process was a collaborative effort with multiple stakeholders giving guidance and input for the future of Seneca County. The budget task force made recommendations based on input from Department Heads, the Board of Supervisors and Seneca County residents. We reviewed potential budget scenarios and the impact on services provided by the county and the impact to Seneca County taxpayers. I am glad to be a part of the dedicated team including the Department Heads and Board of Supervisors at Seneca County. “ said Julie Bub Seneca County Finance Director.
The 2025 budget will take effect on January 1, 2025.
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