“It must be a good budget, because we all hate it”
Those were Mayor John Shields words at the end of a long meeting where the Village Board passed the 2009-2010 budget 4-1 (Kavesh against). The 9.49% property tax hike is the biggest increase in the history of the village.
- July 4th Fireworks displays, which cost $10,000 per event, will be canceled.
- Because of cuts to the DPW budget, roads will not be repaved in 2009-10, however potholes will continue to be filled
- Support for the sidewalk replacement program, where the village contributes 50% of the cost, has been eliminated.
- 10% pay decrease for elected officials (staff gets their 3.75% increase per their contract)
- Village Attorney and other support remains flat
- $120,000 of village support for a YMCA program has been cut.
- Funds to replace broken holiday decorations have been eliminated.
- The Friend’s of the Nyacks “Mostly Music” will get same as last year ($1,000). Movie Nights will continue as well.
- Nyack Center and Camp Nyack stay flat
Richard Kavesh opposed the budget, saying the increase in property taxes was too steep. He proposed increasing parking fines to make up for about 6% of the 9% increase in taxes. The other Board members were opposed to increasing parking fines.
A 52% drop in mortgage recording fees has forced village officials to slash services and increase taxes. Houses just aren’t selling. If you ever read the small print on the huge closing document, you’d see a substantial amount for mortgage taxes, and that is an important source of income for the Village. Last year’s budget projected $310,000 in fees however only $111,000 was collected. The projected $160,000 decrease for next year represents about a third (3.1%) of Nyack’s property tax increase.
The exact percentage of a property owner’s increase in taxes is yet to be determined. The Village is waiting to get the final assessment valuations. Taxes are based on dollars per thousand of assessed value.
See also: Journal News
