Last week Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger delivered her proposed budget for 2025 at the New Paltz Justice Court. Her $432 million budget total is up by $20 million from 2024, but pledges no property tax increase.

Metzger cited reasons for the increase: a $10.2 million increase in state mandated social services, $2 million in retirement costs and $3.8 million in additional funding for mental health and substance use disorder services. She pointed out that her executive budget keeps property and sales taxes flat from 2024 projections.

In Metzger’s 2025 budget she is proposing to create a $10 million Bridge Fund reserve, aimed at making repairs and building more “resilient” structures while reducing borrowing costs for the replacement program, thus saving taxpayer money. She is also seeking to increase staffing at the Department of Public Works.

Metzger wants to create a “Better Homes for All” initiative that will help eligible renters and homeowners make energy upgrades so they can save on their electric bills, improve safety and comfort while reducing their carbon footprint. The budget also contains a number of initiatives aimed at increasing the housing stock while preventing evictions and homelessness.

The 2025 budget increase in the occupancy tax will pay for a public transportation study aimed at route optimization in order to better assess the needs of the public.

Next year’s budget contains enhancements to Emergency Medical Services [EMS] through recruitment, training, equipment and support of new approaches, including legal assistance, to fix service gaps in the county. In addition, Metzger is supporting a grant program to help volunteer organizations purchase new equipment and will create an EMS Advisory Board to ensure collaboration among municipalities that will ultimately raise the level of patient care in the county.

The 2025 budget contains an increase of $200,000 to help in operational costs for Ulster County Community College, bringing the total monetary support from the county to $7.1 million.

Next year’s budget supports programs to help youth in emergency housing and includes state funding for a lead hazard inspection program in high risk areas.

Metzger is creating a family peer-support assistance program to help caregivers of veterans and also for families of current active service members.

Metzger fully supports helping Ulster County municipalities ‘go green’ by including grants in her budget to fund climate initiatives and by using $2.5 million that remains in the county’s solar and EV charging station programs. This second round of grants will include funding to offset the local share of grants through the New York State Research and Development Authority [NYSERDA] for towns to hire an on-site energy manager for two years.

The 2025 budget expands the successful ‘Corrections to Careers’ program for those who are incarcerated in the Ulster County Jail. This includes next-level training in the Carpenter’s Union apprenticeship program or in another trade of their choice upon release.

Metzger’s 2025 budget calls for improving ‘operational efficiencies’ by consolidating functions into two new departments – General Services and the Department of Risk Management - with the goal of realizing long-term savings for taxpayers.

In the budget, Metzger stated that the County’s Economic Development Department will be applying for $300,000 to pay for a micro-grant program to support entrepreneurs and small businesses, targeting those who are facing difficulties through traditional financing avenues. She stated that Ulster County will revive its $1.2 million Revolving Loan Fund to assist these small businesses, “including minority women and veteran owned businesses, with low interest loans for a variety of needs.”

Metzger concluded her address on the 2025 budget by voicing her hope for the future.

“You have no doubt sensed a theme in this Executive Budget. We are seeking to leverage our advantages as a County government to uplift and expand opportunities for our residents, improve people’s health and quality of life and be the best stewards of the planet and environment that we can be. The initiatives I’ve shared with you today are cost-effective, and a number of them will generate long-term savings to taxpayers.

Good financial management looks, not just at how the financial picture looks today, but also how it will look five years down the road. I am keenly focused on the long-term fiscal health of our County government. In this Executive Budget we propose a prudent spending plan that furthers our vision of building a resilient, sustainable, thriving Ulster County that leaves no one behind.”

Metzger’s 2025 proposed budget will be reviewed and discussed by the Legislature and is expected to be adopted at their December 17th meeting.