The Erie County Legislature’s Majority Caucus has revised County Executive Mark Poloncarz’s proposed 2015 budget that only held the line on taxes and approved a budget that decreases taxes. The Majority Caucus’s cuts to the budget provided much needed tax relief for residents in 2015.

“In our first year leading the Legislature, the Republican-aligned Majority Caucus has adopted a budget that cuts spending, protects services and delivers a tax decrease to residents,” said Chairman John Mills. “When the County Executive released his proposed budget in October, he only held the line on taxes. Our Caucus agreed that wasn’t good enough. Taxpayers deserved better. We went to work, finding millions of dollars in cuts to non-essential services, and we were able to reduce the tax rate for 2015.”

The Majority Caucus’s amendments reduced the tax rate while increasing funding for libraries, cultural, youth and service organizations and public safety.

The revised budget was adopted by the Legislature at its Annual Budget Meeting on Dec. 2, 2014.