Taxes, infrastructure major focuses

Taxes, infrastructure and safety were some of the topics covered during the State of the Town address Monday in Lenox.

“It’s very important that we get the word out to people as to exactly how we’re doing and how we’ve been doing,” said Town of Lenox Supervisor John Pinard.

Taxes and tax rates took center stage for the address, particularly in regards to how the town utilizes its general fund balance.

“In the last four years, the town has worked hard to reverse past practices of using fund balances to offset tax rate increases,” Pinard said. “Using fund balances, although nice on paper, would put the town closer to fiscal distress and leave this community in jeopardy if any fiscal or natural disaster occurred.”

In the past two years, taxes have remained the same or decreased slightly without the use of the general fund balance, Pinard said. He also said fiscal distress has gone down.

Pinard also addressed steps the town has taken to acquire more grants, noting howtown personnel took grant-writing classes, rather than hire outside contractors. One

of the grants was for $1.98 million from the Water Infrastructure Improvement for the Nation Act, which will go toward the upkeep of water lines in the town.

Lenox has also updated its town logo and replaced “L” number signs along and around Route 31 since the 911 Center had difficulty recognizing or finding the old signs.