Nelson residents will see their taxes increase by 9 percent in 2015, due mainly to the town’s need to update its fleet of highway department trucks and the costs that will be associated with that action.
Supervisor Roger Bradstreet has previously said — and the rest of the board has agreed — that the town’s trucks are aging out, with many of them in constant need of maintenance or even out of service, and the board can wait no longer to take this action.
“Taxes will go up [this year] because trucks cost about $200,000, and we’ve got four [to replace],” Bradstreet said at the board’s discussion of the preliminary 2015 budget in October. “This is symptomatic of all towns right now.”
The total town budget for 2015, including special districts, is $620,113, with $482,326 to be raised by taxes. The town tax rate will be $2.44 per $1,000 of assessed value — an increase of 21 cents, or 9 percent, from 2014.
The only substantial change to the 2015 budget from 2014 was the added costs for upgrading and replacing its fleet of highway department trucks, Bradstreet said.
The board held a public budget hearing on Nov. 13, after which members voted unanimously to approve the final town budget.
At its October meeting, the board unanimously agreed to adopt a resolution to bond for $40,000 for a new 2015 Ford 550 landscaper truck, and Town Highway Superintendent Jack Sevier said on Nov. 13 that the truck should be delivered to the town in January. More truck purchases will be coming in the future as the board works to replace the fleet.
Also at the meeting, the board:
—Heard from Bradstreet that U.S. Rep. Richard Hanna sent a letter of recognition to former town Councilor Dean Coe for his 40 years of service to the town. Coe recently was honored by both the town and the state assembly for his public service, and was named “Citizen of the Year” for the town.
—Accepted the resignation of town planning board member Kevin Pace, and appointed Kathleen A. Maloney to the board to fill Pace’s seat, which has five years left on its term of office. The board also appointed Katheryn Eberst as a one-year alternate to the town zoning board of appeals.
—Announced that it is actively seeking town residents interested in service as alternates for the town planning board and the town zoning board of appeals. Anyone interested may contact the town clerk at 655-8582 or [email protected].
—The next board meeting will occur at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 11, at the town office.
Jason Emerson is editor of the Cazenovia Republican. He can be reached at [email protected].
