The proposed City of Batavia budget for 2011/12 includes an increase in the property tax levy, taking it up to $10.51 per thousand dollars of assessed value, an increase of 1.59 percent.
The owner of a $80,000 home would pay $13 more per year.
It's a 16-cent increase over the previous year.
Total anticipated revenue for the budget year is projected at $14,800,662.
In connection with release of the budget, the city is releasing a strategic plan. Part of the plan funded in the proposed budget is the creation of an economic development director with a salary of $55,000 to $70,000.
In the proposed budget, the water rate is scheduled to go up 23 13 cents to $4.31 per 1,000 gallons. (strke-thru is correcting a typo in original city press release)
We had something like an
We had something like an Economic Development Director before. It produced no development (unless you consider the new City Hall development), and the position was eliminated. I don't think it should not be brought back.
We have the Business Improvement District (BID) and similar Genesee County agencies for economic development.
I expected a tax increase with revenues down and expenses up. I expected the water rate to go up since we do not control the rates, Monroe County does.
But to raise our taxes and then to bring back an office that didn't do anything last time is asking too much.
Is that right? The water
Is that right? The water rate goes up from $.23 to $4.31? It does not seem appropriate?
S., It goes up .23 cents from
S.,
It goes up .23 cents from what it is now. Not from 23 cents to $4.31.
Correction. The new position
Correction. The new position will not be a City employee and will not have any benefits. The person will work for BID, with the city contributing only $10,000 of the total salary. The position has two years to prove its worth, or the City can drop its contribution. While the devil is in the details, this does not sound like a bad idea since the city is not really on the hook.
????? What happened to the
????? What happened to the "give the taxpayers a break to fix up their property" meeting ?????
So, they are going to RAISE taxes again. Then they are going to complain that the "landlords don't fix up their properties" (which are over 50% of the houses in the city BTW)
As landlords in this area, we can't raise the rent to make up for this! You know, taxes (as well as other expenses) have gone WAY up for us in the past 5 years or so (if someone could look those numbers up, it would be great) The gov't is just chipping away at ANY private income stream that they can. For what?
If you quit taxing the CRAP out of the private sector, businesspeople would be more inclined to INVEST into the community! Then you don't NEED tom pay an "economic developement director"
Didn't the City just FINALLY get OUT of that terrible debt we were in?
WHO thinks this is a good idea???
Tax increase in a horrible economic climate....The FEDS won't even raise taxes right now! Get a clue people!
OH.....We should be shrinking
OH.....We should be shrinking the Gov't, not growing it!!!