Overview
Rensselaer County's 2026 adopted budget appropriates $446,162,459 across all funds including interfund transfers. Local sources supply $292,124,496, state and federal revenue $80,892,687, and appropriated fund balance $10,811,880, leaving $61,083,396 required from real property taxes; the levy as billed is $62,083,396 after a $6,250,000 provision for uncollected taxes less $5,250,000 in estimated prior-year collections. The county's full value is $19,237,467,140, and the average tax rate is $3.227 per $1,000, down 9.1%.
At a glance — adopted budget 2026
Summary of tax requirement
The tax-requirement summary reconciles appropriations to the levy exactly.
| Appropriations, all funds (incl. interfund transfers) | $446,162,459 |
| Local sources | $292,124,496 |
| Interfund revenues | $1,250,000 |
| State and federal revenue | $80,892,687 |
| Appropriated fund balance | $10,811,880 |
| Required from real property taxes | $61,083,396 |
| Revenue required for appropriations | $61,083,396 |
| Add: provision for uncollected taxes | $6,250,000 |
| Less: estimated prior-year collections | ($5,250,000) |
| Required property tax levy | $62,083,396 |
Source: Rensselaer County 2026 Adopted Budget, Summary of Tax Requirement.
Appropriations by fund
Fund appropriations from the Summary by Fund; the funds sum exactly to the all-funds total.
| General Fund (A) | $314,451,223 |
| Risk retention (CS) | $41,418,167 |
| Hospital (EH) | $54,853,937 |
| Road (D) | $12,387,137 |
| Sewer (G) | $13,389,670 |
| Employment & training (CD) | $4,466,698 |
| Self insurance (S) | $2,682,940 |
| Road machinery (DM) | $2,433,757 |
| Community development (CB) | $78,930 |
| Total appropriations | $446,162,459 |
Other budget-message figures: mandated services are forecast at $183 million for 2026 (up nearly $10 million from 2025's expected $173 million); the Hudson Valley Community College sponsor contribution holds at $5.4 million; and the county's average tax rate has fallen from $5.85 per $1,000 in 2018 to $3.227 in 2026.
Source: Rensselaer County 2026 Adopted Budget, Summary by Fund and County Executive's message.
Elected officials
| County Executive | Steven F. McLaughlin |
| Chairwoman, County Legislature | Kelly Hoffman |
| Director of Budget | Nicholas J. Blais |
Sources & notes
- Only source used: Rensselaer County, 2026 Adopted Budget. 2026 Adopted Budget (PDF).
- Sum checks: tax requirement exact ($292,124,496 + $1,250,000 + $80,892,687 + $10,811,880 + $61,083,396 = $446,162,459); levy exact ($61,083,396 + $6,250,000 − $5,250,000 = $62,083,396); fund appropriations exact at $446,162,459.
- What is not claimed: no department-level appropriations are shown; the $125 million sales-tax figure is the County Executive's projection in the budget message, not a table total.
- Jurisdiction palette: no verified Rensselaer County palette was on file, so this page uses the neutral Hometown Numbers dark-glass theme rather than a county color.