St. Lawrence Co.’s finances improve over last decade, says administrator

CANTON, New York (WWNY) - St. Lawrence County’s proposed budget calls for a cut in the tax rate while the tax levy goes up.

The spending plan totals $334 million.

The tax rate is $6.65, a 4.5 percent drop from last year. The owner of a $100,000 home would save $32 in taxes, but remember, many properties in the county have been reassessed and are worth more.

The tax levy - the amount the county relies on the taxpayer - is going up by $6 million.

Financially, a decade ago, St. Lawrence County was one of the most “significantly distressed” counties in New York, but today, county Administrator Ruth Doyle says things have gotten better.

For 2026, Doyle will use $5 million of the county’s $76 million fund balance, or savings account.

In her first budget in 2015, she says the county had no