No tax increase for Freeport

There will be no increase to village taxes for the third year in a row. The Freeport Village Board of Trustees voted unanimously on Tuesday, Jan. 26, to pass the 2016-2017 village budget for $69,551,168., up from $66.6 million this year. Despite the almost $3 million increase, the tax levy increase is .866 percent – “which means there is no change to the tax rate; a zero percent increase,” Village Budget Director David Tanner told trustees.

    “It couldn’t be better,” Jorge Martinez, deputy mayor for the Village of Freeport said.

    The village cut $91,124 from the tentative budget that would have translated into a tax rate increase of 1.95 percent for homeowners. The village must raise $42,185,394 through property taxes.

    “We were able to reduce some appropriations and totaled out revenues,” Tanner said. Adjustments were made for fuel costs, some salaries, workman’s compensation and Social Security. On the revenue side there were “changes to account fund including a $35,000 CDA grant, a $12,000 grant in state aid for the Blueway trail as well as unspent proceeds from bonds to pay our debt service,” he said.

   The $3 million increases to the budget are to cover retirement costs, liability, disability and contractual agreements for CSEA employees and the PBA. The village’s assessed valuation was also reduced to $67.7 million from $68,4 million.

    “Despite the $3 million increase [to the budget] there’s no increase in taxes for our residents,” Mayor Robert Kennedy said. “The trustees worked day and night. We are very proud of this budget. This is what happens when the board works together.”

    The new fiscal year begins March 1.