Due to a higher-than-expected amount of Madison County sales tax revenue for 2013, the final 2014 tax rate for the town of Fenner will decrease by 20 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, town Supervisor Russ Carey said at the town board’s Nov. 13 regular monthly meeting.

The town budget, which was submitted Oct. 2 and the subject of a public hearing on Oct. 9, was the first topic on the town board’s Nov. 9 regular monthly meeting. The board closed the public hearing on the 2014 town budget, and was informed by Carey that he had made a budget modification due to an unexpected addition of $6,000 in sales tax disbursements from the county to the town. He added $1,000 to the town’s signage fund and $5,000 to the town highway fund, Carey said. Other than that, the budget was the same as previously presented to the board on Oct. 9.

The total budget, including special districts, is $977,589, with $379,565 to be raised by taxes. The town tax rate will be $3.13 per $1,000 of assessed value — a 20-cent decrease from the $3.33 per $1,000 in last year’s budget. The town also stayed within the state’s mandated tax levy cap, Carey said.

The board unanimously approved the budget.

Also at the meeting, the board:

— Heard from Carey that the town dog control officer, Gary Gardner, has completed his first sweep of the entire town for the town-wide dog license enumeration he started in the spring to verify all dogs in the town are properly licensed and have up-to-date rabies vaccinations. “He’s brought in a lot of summons and warning letters,” Carey told the board. Carey said Gardner will now go back through the town to visit specific residences he missed on his first pass through.

—Heard from Carey that he would like to have the town create and post new entrance signs to the town that say “Welcome to Fenner” with some appropriate artwork, and was looking for ideas from the board to be discussed at a later meeting. The current signs at town borders simply inform people that the town zoning laws begin to be enforced

—Heard from Highway Superintendent Frank Hyatt that the town received its 200 tons of winter salt, all the town plow trucks have had their plows mounted and any necessary maintenance completed and the department has already been out to plow and sand twice so far.

—Agreed to send a request to the Madison County Highway Department for a speed limit reduction from 55 mph to 45 mph on Nelson Road from the Jones farm north to Peterboro Road, in order to slow traffic and improve safety.

—Approved a request from Town Justice Norman L. Watts to allow him to apply for a state Justice Court Assistance Program grant of $3,838 to be used to upgrade court equipment.

—Approved an agreement with the DEC to allow the town clerk to use a new computer system and work with a new DEC agent for the issuance of hunting and fishing licenses through the town.

Jason Emerson is editor of the Cazenovia Republican. He can be reached at [email protected].