The 2014 tax rate for the town of Fenner most likely will decrease for the 15th year in a row, said Town Supervisor Russ Carey at the board’s Oct. 9 public budget hearing. While the final tax rate will not be known until Madison County releases the final county sales tax disbursements for each town, the tax rate in Fenner likely will decrease by a few cents per $1,000 of assessed value, Carey said.
“We feel that with 1.6 percent inflation and good growth, we should be able to stay with that [state 2 percent tax cap] and still provide good town services,” Carey said.
The Fenner tax rate in 2000 was $6.27 per $1,000, according to Carey, while in 2012, according to the Madison County Office of real property Tax Services, it was down to $3.33 per $1,000. This year’s tax rate should go down “a few pennies” per thousand, Carey said.
The sales tax revenue in Madison County increased this year by 5 percent, which is good for Fenner because that shared revenue makes up about 50 percent of Fenner’s total town revenues, Carey said. The more county tax revenues the town receives means less land taxes town residents have to pay each year, he said.
“So buy local — it helps us all out and lowers your taxes,” Carey said. “It really makes a difference on your tax rate, and the county tax rate.”
After ending the public budget hearing, during which there were no public comments, the town board voted to approve the tentative 2014 town budget, making it now the preliminary town budget that is available for public review. The public may submit comments on the budget to the board until the board officially closes the public budget hearing at its November meeting. The board can still make adjustments to the budget until it officially adopts the preliminary budget as the final budget, Carey said.
The 2014 preliminary Fenner town budget may be viewed by town residents at the town offices, located at 3151 Fenner East Road, Cazenovia. For more information contact Town Clerk Joanne Buyea at 655-2705 or by email at [email protected].
Also at the meeting, Carey said the town dog control officer, Gary Gardner, will be out of town from Oct. 8 to 16. Residents should call the Cazenovia dog control officer, Gordon Baker, at 559-7279 during this time.
When Gardner returns on Oct. 17, he will complete the town-wide dog license enumeration he started in the spring, Carey said. The enumeration, which has not been completed in about 10 years, is being undertaken to verify all dogs in the town are properly licensed and have up-to-date rabies vaccinations. Gardner has been going house-to-house in the town checking dog licenses, giving any owners of unlicensed dogs a form describing licensing fees and procedures. They then have 30 days to visit the town office and license their dog(s). Owners will be charged a $5 late fee for licensing at the town office. If owners do not license their dogs within the 30-day timeframe, they would be in violation of the town dog licensing law.
The current town dog licensing law, approved in 2010 and effective Jan. 1, 2011, states that violations for unlicensed dogs in the town can range from $25 to $250 per violation. Each day a violation goes unresolved becomes a separate offense.
Fenner residents who go to the town office and license their dogs before a visit from Gardner have not been charged the late fee.
The town board also reminded residents that its monthly meeting schedule will change to its winter hours starting in November. The board now will meet at 12:30 p.m. the second Wednesday of every month from November through April.
Jason Emerson is editor of the Cazenovia Republican. He can be reached at [email protected].
