Seneca Falls town’s preliminary budget for 2024 points to a rise in overall spending; however, residents are poised to see a decline in the tax rate. Despite increased expenditures, the proposed tax rate will fall 15%, from $6.57 to $5.57 per $1,000 of assessed property value, mainly due to a comprehensive property revaluation conducted in 2023. A public hearing is set to take place during the Town Board meeting on November 8 at the Ovid Street Municipal Building to discuss the financial plan further.
The new budget anticipates a decrease in the total amount to be raised through property taxes, from $4.5 million to $3.8 million. It retains the 2023 revenue level from Seneca Meadows Inc. landfill at $3.2 million, based on the existing host community agreement. The tentative budget forecasts a boost in the highway department’s budget from $2.14 million to $2.3 million, while projected increases in the water and sewer funds—from $2.53 million to $2.94 million and from $2.78 million to $2.88 million, respectively—indicate these utilities continue to be self-funded by user rates without impacting the general budget.
The town’s financial responsibilities, which include the repercussions from the dissolution of the village of Seneca Falls in 2011, are expected to decrease slightly. Meanwhile, increased allocations for refuse and water districts are noted, with the total spending across all sectors climbing from $16.84 million to $17.07 million. This budgetary increment reflects the town’s efforts to balance fiscal responsibilities while easing the tax burden on its residents.
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