By the numbers: The 2011 Monroe town budget

Monroe - Here is a look at the 2011 budget for the Town of Monroe: 2011 budget: $7,115,293 This figure does not include: Special Lighting District $74,900. Newly formed Joint Fire District $1,600335.00. The tax rate for this district is $4.03 per $1,000 assessed valuation. The Monroe Free Library $1,163825.00. The tax rate for this district is $2.92 per $1,000 assessed valuation. The Garbage District $2,233189.00. The charge per home is $409.08 down $12.07 from last year. The tax rate is zero. The amount to be raised by taxes: $3,805,778. The estimated tax bill on a house assessed at $75,000 assessed valuation in the village will see a .16 cents increase. For the same house in the town outside the village .28 cent increase. According to Supervisor Sandy Leonard if you take into consideration the garbage budget went down, in reality the town is giving back $11.91 to the village taxpayer and $11.79 for town taxpayers. The supervisor explained the major budget increases were due to the state retirement doubled, health insurance up 15 percent and the town lighting district fees doubled. The budget reduction is due to: a large reduction in the road salt budget all non-union employees will be paying 15 percent in health benefits across the board $557,867 was used from the fund balance to bring the rate of zero percent. In other news The town of Monroe is opting in on a study to consider a sewer plant to be built by the town of Chester. Part of the town is in Orange County Sewer District No. 1 (Harriman facility); the rest in the Moodna Basin facility. Because of the constant battle for ratepayers, the town is taking a hard look at the Chester plant because it is more cost-effective, said Supervisor Sandy Leonard. The town of Monroe joined the bandwagon of municipalities that are fighting Orange and Rockland’s proposed rate hike. The utility company wants to increase its rates for consumers by nine percent and seven percent for commercial users.