After growing at higher-than-expected rates for two years, Orange County’s sales tax collections slowed down the momentum at the midpoint of the year. Sales taxes are the largest revenue source for the county, covering nearly half the annual expenses. By the end of June, the county collected $117 million in sales tax revenue, almost the…

According to the latest Ways and Means Committee meeting, the Orange County government in New York collected 17 percent more sales taxes than budgeted in the first quarter.  Sales taxes are the county’s lifeline, accounting for nearly 45 percent of its estimated revenue.  Nearly $394 million in sales taxes were budgeted for this year.  The…

The City Council of Middletown, New York, adopted a new three-year sales tax sharing contract with Orange County on Jan. 17. Middletown now gets the largest share of sales tax among all three cities in the county, largely due to its population advantage. Based on the 2020 census, Middletown has a population of just over…

Port Jervis City Council on Dec. 22 unanimously passed a 2023 budget of $20 million, raising property tax levy by nearly 9 percent. Residential property taxes go up by 5 percent to nearly $3.8 million, whereas taxes collected on commercial properties increase by 11 percent to $3.5 million. Inflation is said to be responsible for…

The Orange County legislature on Dec. 1 unanimously adopted a budget of $897.6 million for next year.  The budget is up 8 percent compared with last year, whereas the property tax levy is down $9.6 million.  The county can take on a bigger spending plan without raising tax levy largely because of the booming sales taxes,…

Executive Steven Neuhaus proposes to slash the property tax levy in Orange County, New York, by $7.6 million to $126.5 million in the coming year. Largely due to booming sales tax, the county can expand services and take on new initiatives in 2023 without asking property owners for more money, according to Neuhaus at a…

Executive Steven Neuhaus proposes to slash the property tax levy in Orange County, New York, by $7.6 million to $126.5 million in the coming year. Largely due to booming sales tax, the county can expand services and take on new initiatives in 2023 without asking property owners for more money, according to Neuhaus at a…

Executive Steven Neuhaus proposes to slash the property tax levy in Orange County, New York, by $7.6 million to $126.5 million in the coming year. Largely due to booming sales tax, the county can expand services and take on new initiatives in 2023 without asking property owners for more money, according to Neuhaus at a…

Following mounting pressure from residents to address Westminster’s impending bankruptcy, city councilors finally voted Aug. 12 to put a proposal to extend the city’s 1 percent sales tax—which has been deeply disputed on the dais over the last two years—on the November ballot. The 4–1 approval vote for Measure SS—with Councilman Tai Do abstaining—came last…

Commentary “The city that knows how” was a great moniker that was attached to San Francisco at the end of World War I. Until the last three decades, it really was the city that knew how to get things done. Several weeks ago, I attended a seminar on quality-of-life issues in San Francisco. One of…