The Orleans County Legislature moved swiftly Wednesday afternoon to finalize the financial roadmap for the coming year, adopting a $20.1 million budget during a special meeting in Albion. Chairman Lynne Johnson called the meeting to order at 4:56 p.m. on December 3. Following a brief public hearing on the tentative budget, the Legislature unanimously voted to adopt the spending plan for 2026. The adopted budget carries a tax levy of $20,139,000, representing the amount to be raised by property taxes. While the total levy was set at just over $20.13 million, the final amount to be collected from taxpayers is slightly lower—$20,130,879.16—due to a small portion of taxes being omitted, likely due to corrections or exemptions. According to the apportionment data approved by the Legislature, the Town of Ridgeway carries the largest share of the tax burden at 14.20%, while the Town of Carlton follows closely at 11.84%. The levy supports the General County Budget, which funds essential services including public safety, road maintenance, and social services. The budget adoption was Resolution No. 519-1225, moved by Legislator Fitzak and seconded by Legislator Draper. The roll call vote was 7 ayes, with Legislators Allport, Draper, Eick, Fitzak, Johnson, Miller, and Morgan all in favor. Beyond the general budget, the Legislature tackled a significant number of "relevy" resolutions. These actions allow the County Treasurer to add unpaid taxes from previous years—along with penalties—onto the 2026 tax rolls for towns and villages to collect. In a move that will impact school district funding across the county, legislators authorized the collection of $1,969,841.39 in unpaid school taxes. This includes a 7% penalty. The largest amounts of unpaid school taxes are located in Carlton ($252,265.24), Ridgeway ($306,763.81 total), and Shelby ($301,692.26). Villages within the county will also see a boost in revenue through the collection of delinquent taxes. The Legislature approved a 5% penalty on unpaid village taxes, totaling $516,216.62. The Village of Medina accounts for the majority of this sum, with $239,353.81 in unpaid taxes being relevied between the towns of Ridgeway and Shelby. The Village of Albion will see $187,835.50 relevied. Additionally, the County will collect $131,239.27 in unpaid recycling and solid waste program fees. These fees, which cover the cost of waste disposal and recycling services for residents who have not paid directly, will be added to the 2026 tax rolls for the respective towns. The meeting also included the authorization of levies for specific town purposes. This includes funding for highway maintenance, fire protection districts, water districts, and lighting districts across the county’s towns. For example, fire protection districts alone will levy over $3.2 million countywide to ensure local emergency services remain operational. In a final piece of financial housekeeping, the Legislature authorized the County Treasurer to charge back $3,522.29 in erroneous taxes to the respective county, town, and school districts affected. This ensures that tax dollars are correctly allocated when errors are discovered in previous assessments. The meeting concluded without discussion on the resolutions, all of which passed by a 7-0 vote. With the budget now adopted, property owners in Orleans County can expect to receive their tax bills reflecting the new levies for the 2026 fiscal year, which begins January 1.