56°
The board is scheduled to approve the proposed 2013 budget, which calls for a 5.54 percent tax rate increase for residents of Briarcliff Manor and Ossining Village and a 3.31 percent tax rate increase for the unincorporated area, during the board’s regular meeting at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in the police/court facility. The general fund budget is set to be about $5.1 million, according to town documents. The average resident’s tax bill would increase $11.50 for residents of the villages and $43.60 for residents in the unincorporated areas of the town, according to town documents.
Town Supervisor Sue Donnelly said Monday that the proposed budget puts the town in a good position for years to come.
“I think it’s headed in the right direction, but we have to take the steps to make sure we have reasonable revenues,” she said. Donnelly previously noted in a written supervisor’s update that she expects the economic downturn to continue to affect the town for a while longer. “The years ahead promise to be very challenging times for municipal governments as we face many of the same issues that our residents are experiencing from the economic downturn.”
While no residents spoke about the budget during several public hearings in the past couple of months, Donnelly said during the board’s Dec. 4 work session that she thought the tax rate increase was reasonable.
“The townwide budget would have increased, especially because of our low tax percent rate, but we believe that we have cut and accumulated enough overages and savings in different lines to enable us to hold down the tax increase for 2013, resulting in just a small increase over the tentative budget,” Donnelly said previously. “This board, as well as the department heads, have worked diligently on this budget, and we are committed to ensuring that you receive the services you are accustomed to, while holding down the expenses with realistic revenue projections.”
Donnelly added Monday that she thinks residents will be pleased that the 2013 budget includes the continuation of a two-day garbage pickup.
“We have listened to the public, especially the residents of the unincorporated area, concerning household garbage pickup,” she said, adding that the town looked at other options of reducing pickup to save residents money. “After hearing from most residents that the unincorporated area still would like a two-day pickup schedule, the board awarded the contract with the pickup schedule remaining the same, and the bid happened to be from the same sanitation company as we currently use,” Donnelly said.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Ossining and receive free news updates.
