Richard Moody is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media the Columbia County 2018 budget was approved by the Board of Supervisors December 13, with only Clermont Town Supervisor Ray Staats voting against the measure. Staats, a Democrat, said the county should not raise taxes if the budget is balanced without the increase. The $150 million spending plan includes a 1.82 percent tax levy increase. Staats said the additional funds raised by taxes next year will go into the county's fund balance and that is not acceptable. “We are not going to use the fund balance and that is unacceptable,” he said. However, County Controller Ron Caponera said the county's obligation to fund a portion of the Columbia-Greene Community College $20 million capital project makes use of the fund balance necessary. Board of Supervisors Chairman Matt Murell said no county programs were eliminated and no services cut under the new spending plan. Supervisors will hold their year-end meeting at 3 p.m., December 28 at 401 State Street in Hudson. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.