The Supervisor and Town Board members completed the 2019 Preliminary Budget and have filed it with the Town Clerk's Office. There is a public hearing scheduled at the November 14th Town Board Meeting at which time the 2019 Adopted Budget will be voted on.
The 2019 Preliminary Budget represents a decrease of .090900 in the General Fund Tax Rate, the rate is $0.851174 per 1,000 of assessed valuation. The Highway tax rate decreased slightly from last year, which is $0.983680 per 1,000 of assessed valuation. With the exception of Sewer Districts the tax rates regarding Special Districts represent a decrease in 2019. The assessed value within General and Highway Fund increased by roughly $395,000,000, due to the revaluation of properties the Town Board focused on lowering the tax rates for residents to lessen the impact of the increases in assessed valuation. Below is the Budget Hearing information which also breaks down all of the special districts.
In preparing this budget, we were pleased to be able to keep the tax rates low, even with the growing infrastructure, more Town Roads, the additional new Public Safety Building next to Town Hall which will house the NYS Police, Erie County Sheriffs and our Town Court, and also continue with the services that we provide to the residents.
Not only is the Town Board committed to running a fiscally conservative government and keeping our tax rates low or at very little increases, but we have to thank our Department Heads for managing their expenditures. We also want to thank the Fire Companies for also coming in with their contract requests at or under the Tax Cap, as well as working with the Town collectively regarding the NYS Cancer Coverage Mandate for Interior Firefighters. The Town Board members and Town Supervisor did not receive a salary increase in this Budget. The Town Board has not received a pay increase since 2009, and as Supervisor, I cut my salary in 2016 when I took office from the previous Supervisor and did not take a raise again this year.
Once again, our 2019 Preliminary Budget is under the NYS Tax Cap, which allows for qualified property owners to receive the NYS Tax Cap rebate checks.
Supervisor Patrick Casilio
2019 Preliminary Budget Hearing Information for November 14, 2018 - Town Board Meeting