MALONE — The tentative 2021 Franklin County budget calls for spending roughly $1.4 million less in the coming year than was budgeted for the current year, resulting in a modest decline in the average county tax rate.

The tentative spending plan for the coming year projects appropriations to total $103.6 million, down from the current year’s $105 million, according to budget documents posted on the county’s website. Much of that reduction is the result of decreased spending on capital projects, which will drop from $2.16 million in the current year to less than $152,000 in the coming year, according to the budget documents.

Spending in the general fund, which finances most government operations other than those related to roads, is expected to increase about $400,000, from $97.2 million in the current year to $97.6 million next year. Spending on roads is expected to increase about $150,000, from $4.15 million to $4.3 million, while spending on machinery will rise by about $130,00, from $1.17 million to $1.4 million.

The 2021 budget calls for a tax levy of $17.7 million, slightly higher than the current year’s $17.4 million but still below the state-imposed cap on tax levy increases. The county’s cap for the coming year is roughly $18.2 million; the levy in the tentative budget is roughly $257,000 below that limit.

Nevertheless, county officials plan to hold a public hearing on a local law that would allow them to exceed the cap. Legislator Paul Maroun, R-Tupper Lake, noted that the county historically passes such a law but votes to rescind it after the budget — with a levy increase below the cap — is adopted.

This year’s hearing is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 29 at 4:15 p.m. in the legislative chambers in Malone, with access to the hearing via WebEx. Online access to the hearing will also be available in Saranac Lake and Tupper Lake.

The hearing on the tax cap override will follow a similar session on the entire budget package, which is scheduled to begin that day at 4 p.m.

While the tax levy would increase under the tentative budget, the projected average tax rate is expected to decline by about 16 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value — from $4.64 in the current year to $4.48 in the coming year. The actual change to tax rates in each town could range significantly, based on the change in total assessed value in each town and the town’s equalization rate — how close the assessed value of a property comes to its actual projected market value. Towns in Franklin County have equalization rates that range from just over 100% to roughly 11%.

Just weeks before the budget was filed with the state on Oct. 1, county officials had been searching for a way to close a $715,000 gap between spending and revenues. The tentative budget allocates $794,000 from the county fund balance — more than enough to close the gap.