Berlin Budget Calls For Tax Hike
By Doug La Rocque
Pending any remaining changes, the proposed Town of Berlin budget for 2019 will mean an increase in the amount to be raised by taxes of $41,953, or between 4 and 5 percent. In terms of individual tax rates, it means a hike of 92 cents per thousand of assessed valuation. That translates to $46 on a property assessed at $50,000, which is about the average in the town.
These numbers mean the Town Board will have to vote to override the New York State Tax Cap of 2%. And as is the case this year in Berlin, that number is actually smaller because of some complicated formulas that are applied by the state. Berlin would have had to keep its increase to about $6,000, something Town Supervisor Rob Jaeger indicates just wasn’t feasible, given the increase in personnel and machinery costs as well as anticipated insurance hikes.
The Board will now hold two public hearings, both set for November 8. The first will be at 6:30 pm to consider a local law to override the tax cap, and the second is slated for 7 pm, on the preliminary budget itself.