Riga proposes tax decrease

Riga residents will see a decrease in their town tax bill if the $1.59 million proposed 2001 budget is passed at the next town board meeting.

The town tax rate will go from $1.65 to $1.57 per $1,000 assessed value under the proposed budget. Owner of a $100,000 home in the town would see their tax bill go from $165 this year to $157 next year.

Taxes for village residents will decrease from $1.01 to 91 cents per $1,000 of assessed value. The town tax bill on a $100,000 village home would go from $101 this year, to $91 next year. Acting Superintendent Timothy Rowe said a stable population and good income on investments, along with controlled spending, enabled the board to keep total tax collection the same while using less Mill Seat Landfill revenue than last year.

"We try to have good stewardship of people's money, to spend it wisely," he said. "Our goal this year was to keep the money collected in taxes exactly the same." The town board was able to meet that goal with a lower tax rate, partly through a slight increase in population.

Spending under the proposed budget will increase $103,806 to $1.59 million. Revenues increase $213,511, to $1.14 million, and the amount to be raised by taxes remains stable at $298,800. Financial reserves decrease $109,700 to $150,000.

Rowe said this year's budget uses $285,000 of landfill revenues, down from $293,000 last year. "We use just what we need," he said. The town invests excess landfill revenue now, Rowe said, so that when the landfill is full, and the money stops coming in, the town does not have to raise taxes all at once to make up the shortfall in the budget.

Next year's budget includes the addition of one morning snowplowing crew. "The morning is the biggest concern of people," said Rowe. An additional $50,000 is included to improve town roads.

Rowe said there is no money budgeted for the town to join the proposed Monroe County sewer trunk line. "We have plenty of money in our capital project fund," he said, if the town does reach an agreement with the county and the Village of Churchville to hook onto the sewer line.

Library funding is being increased $4,000, to $61,000 in the proposed budget. Other new expenditures include: a three percent salary increase for town employees and elected officials; a new $115,000, 10-wheel dump truck with snow rigging; $6,000 for a new pavilion in the Sanford Road Park; and increased funding for Senior Citizens of Riga.