Town of Batavia budget

In this time of rising prices, Town of Batavia residents can breathe a little easier with a 12 percent decrease in property taxes.

Led by Supervisor Gregory Post, Batavia Town Board members Sharon White, Dan Underhill, Patti Michalak and Chad Zambito voted on the 2022 annual budget of $4,845,357, including $1.3 million for the Highway Fund, during a board meeting Wednesday at Batavia Town Hall. The board had adopted the budget in October and offered community input during a hearing Nov. 3. The vote was unanimous.

The general fund budget is an increase of about $800,000 from 2021, however, the board will use $1.18 million in unexpended funds to keep the property tax levy status quo to this year’s amount of $1,236,000. Add to that increased assessed town values, and the result is a decreased tax rate of $2.51 per $1,000 assessed value, down from $2.85. 

The budget includes $500,000 for a fleet of pickup trucks, the addition of another highway department employee and project manager, and a 3 percent pay increase that may not be "across the board" and is to be finalized in January 2022, Post said in a prior interview with The Batavian.

Wednesday’s votes also included an approximate 2 percent increase in water rates. That will mean a rate of $6.32 and $5.12 each per 1,000 gallons for residential and agricultural consumers, respectively. Residential water is for use outside of farming operations, whereas the agricultural rate is for drinking water for livestock, irrigation of crops and operations related directly to agriculture. 

The sewer rate is to remain the same at $7.09 per 1,000 gallons used. Water and sewer rates are billed quarterly, with payments due in May, August and November 2022, and February 2023. 

The Town of Batavia property tax rate is expected to decrease by about 12 percent for 2022, Supervisor Greg Post said today.

Post, (photo at right), in providing The Batavian his first update on budget proceedings, said the preliminary General Fund spending plan for next year is currently at $4,845,357, which includes $1,346,403 in expenditures for the Highway Fund.

While the General Fund budget is up by about $800,000 from 2021 and the town’s revenue decreased, the Town Board is looking at using $1.18 million in unexpended fund balance ($600,000 more than originally anticipated) to keep the property tax levy at the same level, Post said.

The current tax levy on the books for 2022 (the amount raised by taxes) is at $1,236,000 – the same as the number in 2021.

“Which means that because of the increased assessed value (in the town), the tax rate will go down by about 12 percent – from $2.85 to $2.51,” Post indicated. “Nothing is set in stone as we still have several weeks to work through this and we may tweak it prior to adoption.”

The sewer rate is expected to remain flat at $7.09 per 1,000 gallons used, while the water rate for both residential and agricultural consumers is projected to increase by 2 percent – to $6.32 and $5.12 per 1,000 gallons, respectively.

Meanwhile, the fire district tax rate looks as though it will remain flat, but will result in greater revenue due to the increased assessed valuation.

The Town Board has scheduled public hearings on the sewer and water rates for 7 p.m. Nov. 3 at the Town Hall on West Main Street Road, with a public hearing on the budget to follow at 7:10 p.m.

A special meeting to adopt the budget, and the sewer and water rates is set for Nov. 17 at the Town Hall.

Additional details provided by Post are as follows:

• The strategy on the tax levy “was to keep this as flat as we can, and use up the residual money saved during COVID to purchase the things that were deferred from the last two years,” he said. “Now that we’re in full operation and projects are happening, we need to have the staff and the means to attend to that so we can continue to be in a growth mode.”

• The town is hiring another highway department employee and a “project manager” engineer to assist with administration of Park Road Reconstruction Project. “This is similar to what we did five or six years ago,” Post advised. “When the work increases, we add staff, and when the work decreases, we reduce staff.”

• The plan includes spending about $500,000 on a fleet of pickup trucks, something that was deferred due to COVID.  “But we might not even be able to buy trucks next year because they might not be available yet; trucks are hard to find,” Post said.

• The town realized a surplus last year of $280,000, enabling it to use more of its unexpended fund balance, Post reported. “That was due to the efforts the staff has made to find creative ways to finance projects and get grant money to subsidize the operations,” he said. “Through this process, we still have adequate reserves and unexpended fund balances to carry us through whatever the next Apocalypse is.”

• The board is considering pay increases averaging 3 percent, although not across the board, Post said. “That doesn’t mean that money gets spent. Those numbers are not finalized and set until the first of the year. This virtual situation has found a number of efficiencies and it has also allowed the town to service building permits, applications and plan reviews as well as administer public sector projects like Ellicott Trail and repaving and now Park Road and Route 98 improvements.