Town plans to override state’s tax levy cap

ROSENDALE >> The Town Board expects to override the state’s tax levy limit for Rosendale and has set a Nov. 2 public hearing to take comments from residents.

The hearing is scheduled for 7 p.m. in the Rosendale Municipal Center, 1915 Lucas Ave., Cottekill.

“We’re overriding the tax cap,” Supervisor Jeanne Walsh said. “We have a very low fund balance ... to keep the budget under the [0.68 percent] cap requirements. ... I don’t feel it would be safe. I feel it would be risky to take any more fund balance.”

The state has set a 0.68 percent cap on how much towns and counties can increase their property tax levies from 2016 to 2017, though each municipality will have a different rate based on growth factors and the amount a

budget stayed under the levy limit in 2016. The base cap for towns and counties a year ago 0.73 percent.

The cap was adopted by state lawmakers in 2011 to limit the annual growth of local property tax levies to the rate of inflation or 2 percent, whichever is lower, but excludes expenses such as pension costs. A town boards, village board of county legislatures may vote to exceed the tax cap with a 60 percent vote of its members.

The 2017 Rosendale budget calls for $3.95 million in spending, a 3.5 percent increase over 2016, and a $2.8 million property tax levy, which would be up a 3.9 percent.

Included in the town budget are:

• $743,309 for employee benefits, down 2.4 percent from 2016.

• $421,767 for police, up 0.4 percent.

• $159,700 in town pool expenses, up 47.6 percent.

• $121,647 for snow removal, down 2.7 percent.

• $82,000 for playground and recreation, down 28.4 percent.

• $60,698 in debt payments, up 39.2 percent.