Yates County lawmakers will consider securing access to potential public safety facility property Monday before returning Thursday for a public hearing and possible adoption of the county’s 2027 budget.
Both sessions will take place in the Legislative Chambers at 417 Liberty St. in Penn Yan. The special meeting begins at 9 a.m. Monday, Nov. 16, while the budget hearing starts at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 19.
Monday’s proposal would allow the county to enter a contingent property agreement and begin environmental review. It would not commit the county to building or funding a public safety facility.
County considers property near McKinley Avenue and Sherman Street
Proposed Resolution 445-26 would authorize Legislature Chairwoman Leslie Church, subject to county attorney approval, to enter an agreement with property owners Floyd D. Lane and Dale A. Lane.
The land is in the Town of Milo, both inside and outside the Village of Penn Yan, near McKinley Avenue and Sherman Street. The resolution identifies an approximately 9.493-acre tract described in a recorded deed, along with tax map parcel 49.84-2-54.
The county wants to ensure the properties remain available while preliminary studies determine whether they are suitable for the public safety facility project.
Those studies would include engineering work, surveys, subsurface investigations, soil studies and basic research.
The agreement could take the form of a contingent purchase offer or an option agreement. Its conditions would preserve the county’s ability to evaluate the land without obligating it to proceed with the project.
The resolution also would authorize preparation of an environmental assessment form and supporting documents under the State Environmental Quality Review Act.
It does not identify a purchase price, construction budget or final facility design.
The proposal follows months of public questions about the facility’s need, cost and planning process. County officials previously said schematic design work was intended to develop information needed for later decisions.
Monday’s agenda includes public comment before and after consideration of the resolution, with an executive session listed if needed.
Budget hearing could be followed by adoption
Thursday’s session will give residents an opportunity to address the proposed 2027 county budget before the Legislature considers final action.
The hearing materials include a draft resolution adopting the tentative budget. The notice also allows other business after the hearing.
The tentative spending plan would increase total appropriations to approximately $65.87 million, up $4.44 million, or 7.22%, across the General, Road, Road Machinery and Airport funds.
The property tax levy would rise 3.11% to approximately $18.36 million. At the same time, the countywide full-value tax rate would fall from approximately $4.02 to $3.72 per $1,000 as the overall property tax base grows.
A lower full-value rate does not mean every property owner’s bill would decrease. Individual bills depend on assessments, exemptions and the allocation of the county levy among municipalities.
The proposal also uses $3.99 million in reserves and fund balance to support spending and limit the amount raised through property taxes.
The Legislature has approved the tentative budget, but final adoption remains a separate action following the public hearing.
How to attend or watch
Residents can attend either session at the county office building in Penn Yan.
The county also provides separate Zoom connections for Monday’s special legislative meeting and Thursday’s budget hearing.
Meeting materials and the proposed budget are available through the Yates County website.
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