GOSHEN – Orange County’s fiscal and environmental stress scores continue to improve, according to a report issued by State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, which evaluated the financial conditions of municipalities throughout the state.
“This report is great news and demonstrates that my administration’s conservative fiscal policies are making a difference for Orange County taxpayers,” County Executive Steven Neuhaus said. “It is the result of keeping accurate financial records as well as keeping a close eye on revenues and fund balances. While this news is promising, we must be extremely proactive in continuing our efforts to grow the economy while maintaining diligence in the daily governance of the county’s finances.”
The comptroller’s report analyzes fiscal categories such as Assigned, Unappropriated and Unassigned Fund Balance, Gross Expenditures, Gross Revenues, Personal Service and Employee Benefits, and Debt Service. These indicators are then scored each fiscal year to determine a municipality’s fiscal stress scores and designations.
In fiscal year 2022 Orange County received a 3.3 fiscal stress score and a 6.7 environmental stress score while in 2021, the county scored a 6.7 fiscal stress score and a 13.3 environmental stress score. The decreasing scores are a positive indicator of how the fiscal health of the county continues to be strengthened. An assignment of “No Designation” to both the fiscal and environmental stress scores is the highest rank which can be received in each category.
“This decrease in Orange County’s fiscal stress score from the State Comptroller’s Office rewards the hard work of all county employees whose contributions have led to the fiscal health of the county,” County Commissioner of Finance Kerry Gallagher said.
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