Ogden taxpayers to see no increase

Ogden taxpayers to see no increase

In the face of double digit health insurance premium increases, Town of Ogden officials dipped into the fund balance to keep the property tax rates under the 2008 budget at the same level as the current year's budget.

Taxpayers in the Village of Spencerport will see stable tax rates of $4.02 per $1,000 of assessed value and taxpayers in the Town of Ogden will remain steady at $6.14 per $1,000.

"There was no reassessment this year and the tax levy went up by about two percent," Ogden Supervisor Gay Lenhard said. "We didn't want the residents to be hit with a rate increase this year so we maintained the prior year's tax rate and used a portion of the fund balance to do so." The current budget is $8,200,544. The budget for 2008, which was accepted and passed by the board, will be $8,748,540 - a six percent increase.

There was a close to $400,000 line item in the highway department - an increase over the $175,000 line item in the current year. "We knew the department was going to need to purchase equipment," Lenhard. "There is a replacement plan in place for equipment purchases."

Lenhard said the budget process this year went smoothly. "I'm pleased with the budgets the department heads submitted - they didn't ask for anything they didn't truly need and we were able to hold the line on taxes."

The budget was passed the night of the public hearing and budget presentation October 10. "There was no public dissension or really any discussion from the public on the budget, so we passed it that night so we can get on to the rest of the business that is facing the town," she said.