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Editorials
The Town of Lancaster will hold a public hearing on the proposed 2009 budget this coming Monday evening, November 3rd, at 8:30 pm at the Town Hall, located at 21 Central Avenue. As of now, Town residents could expect to see a 3.42 percent tax increase.
The tax rate would now be $8.04 per $1,000 assessed property value and town residents would see a $31.71 increase on a home valued at $100,000. A home within the Village of Lancaster assessed at $100,000, the tax bill would drop $14.29, from $598.73 to $584. A home in the Village of Depew assessed at $100,000, the tax bill decrease by $1, from $243 to $242.
The tentative $27,710,938 budget increases overall spending by $1.26 million, or 4.8%.
The General Fund – Town Outside of Villages increases spending by 4.4% ($855,977 to $893,369).
The Police Fund increases spending by 4.8% ($7.76 million to $8.15 million).
The Highway Fund increases spending by 10.6% ($3.39 million to $3.8 million).
The Special Districts portion of the budget increases by 6.2% ($6.37 million to $6.76 million). Refuse spending increases by 2%; Lighting spending decreases by 0.42%; Fire Protection spending increases by 5.00%; Water Districts spending increase by 31.6% ($591,802 to ($778,857).
Revenue appropriated from Fund Balance - $1.3 million (near $5 million will remain in the fund).
Amount to be raised by taxation: $18.12 million ($17.40 in 2008 budget; 4.2% increase).
Taxable Valuation in 2009 budget - $2.274 billion (2008 - $30,020 billion). 1.32% increase.
No full time positions were added to the 2009 budget.
All town employees will receive a 3% salary increase.
Added longevity stipends put salary increases between 4 and 5 percent.
“It’s a hold the line, status quo budget,” says Supervisor Giza.
Maybe so for the villages, but not for town residents. As with other towns and the County of Erie itself, no one wants to pay more taxes.
According to the Buffalo News, Amherst and Cheektowaga had their tentative budgets publicly reviewed this week and residents were critical of holding the line spending and/or a tax rate increase of 3%.
Amherst budget
The $116.7 million budget approved by the Amherst Town Board on Monday will see expenses grow by $922,000. But because of some higher revenue projections and use of town surplus money, the overall tax rate for town residents will drop slightly for the second year in a row.
This year, he received support to eliminate more than two dozen vacant positions from the budget for a savings of $1.8 million and kept spending growth to less than 1 percent, the lowest percentage of budget growth since he took office in 2006.
That’s not to say the budget doesn’t have plenty of critics.
A number of town officials, including the comptroller, are concerned the 2009 budget overestimates revenues and underestimates expenses. They also contend that Mohan has kept tax rates artificially low for the past two years by spending millions of dollars in town savings that could eventually harm the town’s bond rating.
Comptroller Darlene A. Carroll reported Tuesday that the town’s tax rate is expected to fall by 1.4 percent next year. That means the owner of a $150,000 house would see a reduction of $22 on their property tax bill next year, she said.
“We’re not giving department heads a blank check anymore,” said Mark Manna, one of the council members working to save the town millions in health care costs by restructuring the town’s health insurance plans. “We are not the regular politicians who talk and do nothing.”
Cheektowaga budget
About 40 people gathered to listen and pose worried questions about the proposed Cheektowaga town spending plan with money for higher fuel costs and other expenses that could lead to a tax rate increase of about 3 percent.
For people with houses assessed at $60,000, the average value, it would be a 2.94 percent increase, or an extra $45 added to a current $1,528 bill.
“The homeowners in Cheektowaga are just fed up with these taxes. We just can’t afford any more. That’s the bottom line,” said Gary Brennan, a retired railroad engineer in the audience in Town Hall Tuesday evening. “I see widows on my street alone who are prisoners in their home . . . instead of enjoying their life.”
The supervisor, board members and director of finance said they were meeting again at 6 p. m. today to keep looking for cuts in the proposed $79 million budget, which is $2.8 million more than last year.
Brian Krause, the town director of finance explained that he, the supervisor and board members had already worked to cut about $500,000 in spending since the first tentative budget proposal in September, including:
• Overtime spending has been frozen to last year’s level, saving $120,000.
• A highway engineer position worth about $90,000 was cut because existing staff has managed to do the work.
People in the audience also worried about the expense of union contracts with planned 2.75 percent raises and expensive health benefits for workers and retirees.
An older man called out a series of questions and concerns about cutting the expense of town staff. “Let the employees put something toward the benefits,” he said.
Krause was sympathetic. “I appreciate your frustration,” he said.
Comment
Will a Lancaster budget that is being touted as “status quo” and/or responsible by Town Supervisor Robert Giza, but has a 3.42 tax rate increase, be questioned by the public.
Many residents complain about high taxes in town, but only a few residents show up to ask questions and/or challenge the numbers; a budget that proposes no cuts in overtime, personnel, or changes in benefit packages.
The proposed budget is “status quo” in those town employees will once again get their 3% salary increases, receive longevity stipends that add to their base salaries and will be enjoying health benefits some of us could only wish for.
© Copyright 2008 by Speakupwny.com
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