Erie County on Oct. 1 submitted its charter-required 2027 Budget Revenues and Expenses Report to the County Comptroller, the county announced, clearing a step ahead of the full 2027 Proposed Budget scheduled for release on Oct. 15.
According to a news release from the Office of County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz, strong assessment growth will allow the county to lower its property tax rate by $0.08 to $3.01 per $1,000 of assessed value. The county said the change represents the ninth consecutive year the administration has reduced the rate, which fell from $5.03 per $1,000 in 2012 to the proposed $3.01 in 2027.
The release says the County Property Tax Levy is expected to increase by 3.5% to $327,118,990 — the allowable limit under the State’s property tax cap — while assessment growth of 6.55% produces the net rate decline.
What the report contains
The submitted report, the county said, includes charter-required major expenditure estimates and revenue forecasts. It lists key cost drivers including Medicaid-MMIS, public assistance, pension obligations, and employee and retiree health insurance.
County Executive Poloncarz is quoted in the release as calling the 2027 Proposed Budget a “prudent and realistic” document that aims to balance new federal obligations with investments in programs and services; the full proposal will be released on Oct. 15.
Staff and readers should expect the full Proposed Budget on Oct. 15 for detailed line items and department-level changes. The county release does not include the total General Fund dollar amount or an itemized spending breakdown; those figures should be confirmed when the full budget is published.
