Bergen Town Board approves 2005 budget

Budget figures in the Town of Bergen increased 2.5 percent over 2004's figures. Town officials approved a budget with a total appropriation of $1,935,079 for 2005. The 2004 appropriations total was $1,887,594. Most of the increase, Town Supervisor John Specht said, is attributable to increases in health and liability insurance. "The library also had a substantial budget increase," he said, adding that town personnel received pay increases of approximately three percent.

Bergen also anticipates an almost seven percent increase in revenues from last year's $1,204,618 to more than $1,128,780 in 2005. "The main source of our increase is projected to be increased Genesee County sales tax distribution as our economy continues to regain strength," Specht said.

Using $326,037 in unexpended fund balances will also help keep the tax rate at a reasonable level, he said. The 2005 unexpended fund balance is a decrease of 11.8 percent over 2004's $369,823. "We only keep enough in reserve to permit reaction to unexpected emergencies and the higher amount we used last year has reduced those balances to the point we feel is on the borderline for a comfortable emergency 'cushion'," he said.

Taxpayers in the town will pay $2.2036 per $1,000 of assessed value compared to $2.1501 in 2004. The 2005 budget reflects a 2.49 percent increase. The fire district tax rate -- for taxpayers living outside the village -- will be $1.1099 per $1,000 compared with $0.9900 last year, an increase of 3.1 percent.

For a home assessed at $110,000 that means a town tax of $242, an increase of $5.89 for the year over last year's bill, Specht said. "To put this in perspective, Genesee County is anticipating a tax rate increase of almost 10 percent to $10.92 per $1,000," he said. "A home assessed for $110,000 will pay $130 above last year's county tax bill."

The total amount of money that must be raised through property taxes in Bergen in $256,994, a 4.7 percent increase over last year's $245,451 figures. Specht explained that taxpayers outside the village are also assessed fire district taxes which increased by 3.5 percent over last year and taxpayers in Water District No. 2 will see the rate remain at $310, the same as last year's per unit rate.

"A major factor in our tax increases this year is the state mandated lowering of Conrail's assessment in the town," Specht said. "We feel good about this budget as we try to be as frugal as we can at the local level and still supply the people of Bergen with the services they need to ensure the quality of life they expect."