Projected 4% rise in taxes doubles

[WNYresident]

The full Story (http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20031207/1045468.asp)

AMHERST
Projected 4% rise in taxes doubles
By THOMAS J. DOLAN
News Northtowns Bureau
12/7/2003

Amherst Supervisor Susan Grelick has been saying that town property owners would see a 4 percent increase in their town tax in 2004.
It turns out she may have been half right.

According to figures released this week by Finance Director Maureen P. Cilano, town taxpayers will spend over 8 percent more in 2004 than they did this year to pay the general and highway taxes in the town.

"That (4 percent) was an estimate," Cilano explained of Grelick's budget message Sept. 30. "We were asked to come up with an estimate of the increase."

e-mail: tdolan@buffnews.com

The full Story (http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20031207/1045468.asp)

[Publius]

As already posted, there's nothing like the budget politics of a campaign year. Shameful what the Supervisor was saying when an 11% tax hike became a 4% increase just weeks before the election, and with over a million in revenue depending on a successful court case against Erie County and Clarence. Even if we did get a favorable ruling on the issue, considering the economic state of the county and our neighboring municipality, could either even afford to make good on the fees in a timely fashion?

So it's an 8% hike, not awful, but still I'm sure everyone wishes it was lower. Thankfully the Board agreed to a resolution from Bill Kindel to postpone road construction for the northern connector roads or that would have been an extra 2.2 million. Boy, add 2.2 million to the appropriations total and the tax hike would have probably been around what... 11%? Very prophetic by the Republicans.


On a side note: Some kudos to the Supervisor for not stonewalling when Councilwoman Woodward pointed out the copying and office costs for the Council had been cut by just over $2,000 and agreed to cut her own office budget by half the amount to split the difference. I guess staplers and ink cartridges are only a partisan affair when it comes to who gets hired to purchase them

[WNYresident]

Exactly what do towns/citys use to look over thier budgets software wise. I find it odd they don't know what is coming down the line. I dont think it's quick books but over all there has to be some numbers they monitor to know what cost are going to be.