Walworth would collect about $234,000 more in property taxes next year even as overall spending falls under its preliminary 2027 budget. The proposed combined general and highway tax rate would rise about 9.5%, with additional changes depending on a property's fire, lighting and other special districts.
The town's 2027 preliminary budget calls for $7.72 million in spending, compared with $8.10 million in the adopted 2026 budget. Expected revenue from sources other than property taxes would fall by about $432,000, and the plan would use less accumulated fund balance and reserves overall.
Residents can weigh in before the Town Board makes its final decisions. A public hearing on the preliminary budget is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5, at Town Hall, 3600 Lorraine Drive.
A higher townwide rate, with different district charges
The total property-tax levy across the town funds and special districts would increase from $4,386,539 to $4,620,386, or about 5.3%. Spending would decline about 4.7%.
The townwide general and highway rates together would rise from about $3.74 to $4.10 per $1,000 of assessed value. That is roughly 35.7 cents more per $1,000 before special-district charges. A property's actual change also depends on its assessment; this is not a projection of its entire tax bill, including county and school taxes.
The general-fund rate accounts for the increase, climbing from about $1.47 to $1.86 per $1,000. The highway rate would edge down from about $2.27 to $2.24 as the assessed tax base grows, while the highway levy stays unchanged.
The town's tax-cap worksheet places the proposed levy just $14 below its calculated $4,620,400 limit. That calculation includes a 2.86% tax-base growth factor, a 2% allowable levy-growth factor and changes in payments in lieu of taxes. The worksheet's limit therefore is not simply a 2% increase over this year's levy.
Less sales-tax revenue shifts costs to property owners
The largest revenue reduction is in the general fund's county sales-tax estimate: $950,000 for 2027, down from $1.25 million budgeted for 2026. Mortgage-tax revenue would fall from $250,000 to $200,000, and payments in lieu of taxes from $26,321 to $8,681.
Recreation fees are budgeted at $100,000, down from $120,000. Together with other changes, general-fund revenue outside property taxes would fall about $401,000.
General-fund spending would decline from $3.77 million to $3.44 million. But the fund would also use about $347,000 in accumulated money, compared with $577,158 in fund balance and appropriated reserves in the adopted 2026 plan. Its property-tax levy consequently would increase from $1,067,480 to $1,363,600.
Across all funds and districts, the proposed budget would draw about $756,000 from fund balance, compared with about $936,000 in fund balance and reserves in 2026. Those figures describe money being used to finance each budget, not the town's remaining savings.
More for winter roads, less for park equipment
The highway budget would grow about $92,000 to $2.54 million, even with its property-tax levy holding at $1,643,268. The plan would increase its use of fund balance from $200,000 to about $315,000.
The snow-removal contract and salt line would rise from $335,000 to $415,000. Resurfacing would increase from $208,899 to $225,025, while paving and grinding would remain at $190,150. Highway health-insurance costs would rise from $190,734 to about $288,349.
Less money would be set aside for future highway needs: contributions to reserves would fall from $200,000 to $100,000. That is separate from the larger withdrawal of existing fund balance used to support next year's operations.
In the general fund, regular and reserve-funded park equipment purchases together would fall from $149,100 to $37,000. Seasonal park help would decline from $50,100 to about $40,726. The separate park special-revenue fund would shrink from $54,980 to $29,300, including reductions in equipment, maintenance and fixtures.
The general contingency appropriation would fall from $200,000 to $150,000, leaving a smaller budget cushion for unexpected expenses. Legal appropriations would move the other way, rising from $94,000 to $120,000 for town counsel, labor matters and litigation combined.
Fire and neighborhood levies would rise
West Walworth's fire-protection levy would increase from $327,539 to $354,333, about 8.2%. Lincoln's would increase from $248,967 to $255,100, about 2.5%.
The proposed fire-service contracts account for much of the spending change. West Walworth's contract would rise from $288,803 to $317,683, and Lincoln's from $201,600 to $211,560. Both districts also would stop using the $3,570 in fund balance that helped finance each 2026 budget.
Several smaller districts illustrate why lower or nearly flat spending does not necessarily produce a lower tax charge. The Walworth lighting district would spend $8,920, down from $11,200, but collect all of it through taxes. Its 2026 levy was only $2,700 because $8,500 came from fund balance.
The Gananda sidewalk district would collect $6,060 through taxes, compared with no levy in 2026, when fund balance covered its $6,000 budget. Orchard View lighting taxes would rise from $1,770 to $4,437 as its spending increases modestly and the use of $2,300 in fund balance ends.
Gananda lighting taxes would increase from $20,089 to $25,848. The consolidated drainage, Crystal Creek drainage and Walworth Water District No. 1 budgets would continue to use fund balance without property-tax levies.
Sewer spending falls, but the assessment is still unresolved
The sewer district's spending would decline from about $1.05 million to $920,830, and its levy would fall from $1,039,425 to $920,830, about 11.4%.
The 2027 appropriation consists of a regional sewer debt payment to the Wayne County Water and Sewer Authority. The 2026 budget also included $80,110 for repair projects, $5,000 for engineering and attorney fees and about $30,247 in retirement and workers' compensation costs, which are absent from the preliminary 2027 appropriations.
The proposed summary leaves the sewer district's assessment base and 2027 rate undetermined. The lower total levy therefore does not establish what an individual property would pay.
Residents get a hearing before adoption
The proposed elected-official salary schedule lists $55,007 for the supervisor, $61,780 for the town clerk and receiver of taxes, and $98,400 for the highway superintendent. Those compare with $53,927.71, $58,972.25 and $96,000, respectively, in the adopted 2026 schedule.
Each of the four council members would receive $7,384, up from $7,239.36. Each of the two town justices would receive $15,354, slightly below the $15,428.89 listed for 2026.
The preliminary budget is available for public inspection at the town clerk's office during regular hours. At the Nov. 5 hearing, residents may speak for or against the overall plan or individual items. Separate hearings on the West Walworth and Lincoln fire contracts are also scheduled for that time and location; those notices also allow written comments to the town clerk.
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