NORWICH – The public will have the opportunity to weigh in on next year’s proposed $76.4 million budget for Chenango County government at a public hearing set for 8 p.m. Tuesday at the County Office Building, 5 Court St.

The budget projects a $16.08 tax rate per $1,000 of assessed property value, representing a 4.06 percent, or 68 cent, decrease from last year on the average countywide tax rate. Individual municipalities’ rates are based on accessed property values and equalization rates. Those figures will be available at the public hearing.

Though the budget shows a decrease, town leaders attending last Monday’s meeting of the Board of Supervisors were quick to point out that most of the decrease is attributed to higher property valuation rates in a handful of towns. New Berlin (100 percent), Coventry (93 percent) and Sherburne’s (90 percent) equalization rates were all recently reevaluated.

Also, calculations showing a 4.19 percent growth in taxable assessed property value includes only 1.3 percent due to new construction. And, only 2 of the 68 cents is an actual decrease, and most of that is due to a New York State cap on Medicaid that went into affect this year.