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CROTON-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. Croton residents could be hit with a tax rate increase of 6.76 percent in the coming fiscal year, if the village administrations proposed budget passes. The increase is necessitated by a budget increase of 5.08 percent, or $862,957.
Due to increases in costs that are beyond our control, the proposed budget for fiscal year 2012-13 will not allow us to stay within the tax levy limit, of $10,723,609, set by the State Comptrollers Office, wrote Abraham Zambrano, Croton Village Manager, in his budget memo.
Some increases noted in the budget memo include increased New York State Retirement System contributions of $174,728 and increased health care premiums of $119,284.
Members of the Croton Police Association will receive a 4 percent increase in compensation, in accordance with a five-year contract expiring in 2014. The increase rounds out to over $209,000 of the proposed $230,100 increase in the police budget. The village is still in negotiations with the Teamsters Local 456 and non-union employees received varying raises.
Theres no straight across the board, everyone got kind of a different rate, said Village Clerk Paula DiSanto, about non-union employee raises.
A November resolution overriding New York States new tax levy cap enabled the board to raise property taxes unencumbered, as it has in years past.
The boards proactive roll to enact a local law to override the States Property Tax Cap law is giving the village the ability to continue to provide services to its residents and taxpayers, wrote Zambrano.
The total proposed budget is $17,834,848. If the village were to use a tax levy that came up the 2 percent tax cap legislation, it would have levied $10,723,609. Instead, the village has proposed levying $11,143,487 in real property taxes.
I think thats pretty high, and I think thats a consequence of over cutting the last couple years, its going to play catch up with you at some point, said Trustee Greg Schmidt about the 6.76 percent rate increase.
Budget workshops begin in the Village of Croton Monday, March 26, at 7:30 p.m.
If it stays up at that number, I think theyre going to be very upset, and understandably so, said Schmidt about public reaction to the rate hike. I think most people are hurting out there right now.
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