Tarrytown Budget Would Reduce Staff, Raise Taxes

 

TARRYTOWN, N.Y. – A $26.1 million tentative budget proposed by Tarrytown Village Administrator Michael Blau would layoff or reduce four personnel positions and raise taxes by 4.87 percent while staying within the tax cap.

 

“Our goal was to come in under the tax levy cap,” Blau said.

 

The Tarrytown Board of Trustees will hold a public hearing on the proposed budget on Monday during their regular meeting at 8 p.m. at village hall. The board of trustees must adopt the proposed budget by May 1.

 

Blau said one village employee would be laid off from the police department. He added that two full-time positions would be reduced to part-time positions and another part-time position would be eliminated. The reductions would occur in the police department and recreation department, Blau said.

 

Blau noted several major factors that led to the tax increase: a loss of assessed values totaling more than $1.2 million, increased pension costs, the service awards program and debt service.

 

In particular, Blau said that Tarrytown has suffered from a loss of assessed values just like other municipalities. He cited a 14.2 decrease in assessed values between fiscal year 2002-03 and fiscal year 2011-12.

 

“We have been cutting back, and we have been attempting to address to the greatest extent possible the impact that our loss of assessables and trying to do it in the best and most prudent way possible,” Blau said.

 

Blau also noted several increased revenues for the village, which offset some of the village's losses, including sales tax, village property rentals, parking lot revenues and building permit revenues.

 

The proposed tax rate would be $272.96 per $1,000 of assessed valuation, meaning the tax increase would be about $197 for the average single-family home, Blau said.

 

Tarrytown's contribution to Warner Library will decrease from last year by $3,880 or 1.51 percent, Blau said.

 

The proposed budget also includes a 7.08 percent increase. Blau said the change was due to increases in the cost of water from New York City, the cost of electricity and state-mandated pensions.

 

 

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