Residents in the town of DeWitt can expect a tax rate increase this year by 1.5 to 1.8 percent, according to the preliminary 2015 town budget.

Town Supervisor Ed Michelanko anticipated there would be no increase in town taxes while the board was working on the tentative budget in September, but at the board’s Oct. 14 preliminary budget hearing he said some changes needed to be made that would cause a “slight increase in the tax rate” of somewhere between seven and nine cents from last year. He attributed the increase to the need to adjust the part town budget and the addition of funds to the highway department for expected construction projects in 2015.

“The part town budget had looked like it was going to be in trouble a couple of years out,” Michelanko said. “We are also budgeting for a repair of the highway garage roof and have some planned road projects on Benedict Road, Thompson Road sidewalks and the Howard Johnson Road.”

The total budget, which includes the general townwide, part town and highway budgets, totaled to about $29 million with more than $11 million to be raised by taxes.

The town’s budget is under the state tax cap by about $1 million, Michelanko said.

As of press time, Michelanko said there were no definitive plans to approve the budget at the board’s next regular meeting on Nov. 24, but he is continuing to work with the comptroller to create a final budget.

Hayleigh Gowans is a reporter for the Eagle Bulletin. She can be reached at [email protected].