Churchville residents raise tax impact issue

At the November 6 Churchville Planning Board meeting, village residents raised the question of tax impact should the Star of the West Milling Company leave the village. Seeking approval to build storage silos which exceed village code limits, members of village boards and company owners have discussed various impacts on the community the business' proposal might cause. Public discussion of tax rate changes was raised at the most recent meeting.

JoAnn Sage, Greenway Boulevard, asked the Churchville Planning Board what it would do to residents' taxes should Star of the West leave the village.

"I don't see taxes impacted by the Star of the West leaving," Churchville Mayor Donald R. Ehrmentraut said from his seat in the audience. "The property would be owned by somebody. Even if the Star of the West leaves, they would still have to pay taxes on it. ... If they were to leave, that property is zoned industrial ... and we would look at changing the zoning. ... If the Star of the West would sell," he said. Ehrmentraut said everyone, including mill Manager Francois Lachance, agrees the middle of the village is not the ideal site for a flour mill.

According to Town of Riga Assessor Joan Brundage, the Star of the West property is assessed at $425,000. Should the mill cease to operate in the village, but the property continue to be owned by Star of the West, the assessment should remain the same, and the taxes continue to be paid, precluding a foreclosure.

Should the mill build the eight new silos and continue to operate here, Brundage has estimated the mill's assessment would increase by $854,100 -- to a total of $1,279,100.

Using 2002 village and town tax rates, and 2001 school tax rates, Brundage has estimated the increased assessment would result in an additional $8,174 in town taxes, $2,494 in village taxes and $19,431 in school taxes. She stressed the fact that these are only estimates.