Harriman will hold public hearing on its proposed budget next Tuesday
By Claudia Wysocki HARRIMAN Harriman residents will be able to scrutinize the villages $3.8 million tentative budget on Tuesday, April 10, beginning at 7:15 p.m. at the village hall.
The amount to be raised by taxes totals $1,654,185. The tax levy increase is two percent.
People think that there is a two percent cap on their tax bill, Mayor Steve Welle said.
Wrong. It is a tax levy which is the total amount of taxes collected by any municipality or school district, the mayor explained.
Residents residing in the Town of Monroe will see a 3.48 percent rate. Based on a home assessed at $50,000, the homeowner will see a $75 increase.
For a resident within the Town of Woodbury, it will mean a 2.18 percent rate and a $40 increase on a home assessed at $92,000.
Welle said the village lost four percent of taxable valuation due to an assessment reduction on the former Nepera plant site and some small reductions on the Monroe side.
He blamed the rising costs of health insurance and the New York State Retirement and fuel costs as well as a 15 percent increase in property liability insurance for the increase. The mayor gave the following examples:
Liability and property insurance: 15 percent - or $13,000 - increase.
Retirement contribution: 29 percent - or $71,000 - increase.
Health insurance: 29.8 percent, - or $110,000 - increase.
Last summer, Hurricane Irene hit the Village of Harriman hard and we arent getting reimbursed for the monies we spent on the damages, he added.
Some savings in the budget, however, will be reflected in salary adjustments, Welle said.