If board members approve the Town of Batavia's budget for 2016, property owners there will find themselves paying a municipal tax on assessed value for the first time since the 1970s, Supervisor Greg Post said last night after the board passed a resolution moving the proposed budget forward in the approval process.
There will be a public hearing on the budget Nov. 4.
The tax rate would be $1.42 per thousand, creating a levy of $500,000, which would still leave the town's budget with a spending deficit of $600,000.
That's nothing new in the Town of Batavia.
Post, who has been in office for 12 years, said the town has been using its fund balance to avoid a tax levy for 15 years.
With sales tax lagging, income on investments of the fund balance nonexistent, increased pension and health-care costs, and dwindling reserves, the town has little choice but to institute a property tax, Post said.
Post spoke with reporters at length last night about the proposed budget and we will have a more complete on the budget story later this morning.
We will also have stories on the county's proposed budget and the plan to create a new position in the IT department to manage the county's Web site and social media presence, as well as a story about a local manufacturer who is finding it difficult in this tight job market to find qualified employees.
UPDATE: Here's the town tax story: After years of operating at a deficit, Town of Batavia asking land owners to pony up property tax
looks like there will be some
looks like there will be some new board members soon. 2 of them can be voted out this year and the other 3 in 2017.
Or maybe you could go the
Or maybe you could go the public hearing and get the full explanation. I would say we have been very lucky in the Town for a long time, to not have this tax. And for the record if you don't like the lower tax rate of the town you could always move to the city, oh wait, that is MUCH higher.
This tax increase.
This tax increase.
In addition to the property tax increase of roughly $750.00
that the homeowners that reside within the "Townline Water Project" area got.
With both of these tax increases combined.
That is roughly a $1,000 property tax increase at one shot.
For the Town of Batavia home owners that are within the water project area.
*smdh*
*smdh*
I have a lot of respect for
I have a lot of respect for Supervisor Greg Post and the Town Council. I don't like higher taxes, but I trust they have looked at the big picture and want to do what they need to do to keep things going forward in the town. Certainly, they would welcome citizen input during the public hearing process.
Mr. Post avoided property
Mr. Post avoided property taxes for years and I doubt he really wanted to be the one to start them up again after all this time. If it was not necessary, he would not do it, but you can not keep going to the piggy bank to avoid it.