Clarkson tax rate remains stable

For taxpayers in the Town of Clarkson, it's business as usual when it comes to the tax rates - and that's a good thing. This year, Clarkson town officials have prepared and presented a budget that could lower the tax rate five cents per $1,000 of assessed property value. This would mark the 10th year in row that Clarkson has had a tax rate that has either decreased or remained stable.

"Our tax rate is what it was in 1990," Supervisor Paul Kimball said. "If you take last year's tax rate and equalize it to get to full value we are status quo. Also, this year, the amount being raised by taxes is $14,000 less than last year."

The proposed tax rate will be $3.72 per $1,000 of assessed value. The 2004 rate, prior to a town-wide reevaluation was $7.82.

Kimball credits the success of the budget process on good money management. "Everyone in all departments is very careful in what they spend money for and what they use in overtime," he said. "The highway has an aggressive work schedule in tracking what work they take on outside of the town."

Clarkson's total appropriations for the 2005 budget are $2,393,722 with revenues coming in at $749,652. The town's unexpended fund balance is $675,788 and the amount to be raised by taxes is $974,282 this year. The amount raised by taxes under the present budget was $988,763. Under the proposed budget, the supervisor, town clerk, town justices, board members and the highway superintendent would receive a 3 percent pay raise making the proposed yearly salary for the supervisor, $17,827; board members, $6,157; justice, $12,021; clerk, $48,080 and highway superintendent, $79,041.

"We don't have any unusual large ticket items in the budget," Kimball said. "Part of putting together a good budget is simple money management."

Because the town has a fund balance, they are able to meet unexpected expenses that might pop up. "With some money set aside each year we are able to pretty much pay cash for everything we do each year," Kimball said. Additionally, the town plans for putting about $125,000 into new equipment purchases. "We might not buy a new piece of equipment each year, but we have budgeted for it when it becomes necessary."

The town, Kimball said, has only one outstanding town-wide debt other than water and sewer districts, and that is Clarkson's portion of the Seymour Library debt.

The budget was presented to the public on October 28 and Kimball said it will likely be approved on November 9.