Kenneth C. Crowe II reports in the Times Union that, with some grumbling about “unprecedented raises,” the Rensselaer County Legislature unanimously voted for the 2020 budget of about $353.1 million on Dec. 2. Members of both parties cheered the cut in property taxes, but criticized the large raises for members of the county executive’s staff included in the budget. Several of the large raises went to political operatives aligned with Republican County Executive Steve McLaughlin. “This is a strong budget providing a slight tax rate decrease for taxpayers while maintaining or expanding important county services and the county’s strong financial position,” McLaughlin said in a statement. Read more about this story in the Times Union.