By Ashley M. Casey
Associate Editor
The towns of Cicero, Clay and Salina passed their 2021 budgets last month, their fiscal responsibilities made more difficult by the coronavirus pandemic’s economic devastation.
Read on to see highlights from your town.
Cicero budget passes 3-2
The Cicero Town Board held a special meeting Nov. 13 for a public hearing on the 2021 preliminary budget and voted on the budget Nov. 16. The measure passed 3-2, with Supervisor Bill Meyer and Councilor Mike Becallo voting against it.
“I’m sure all of us can find good and bad in the preliminary budget,” Meyer said Nov. 13.
Appropriations for 2021, including special districts, total $16,990,247, an increase of 2.28% over the adopted budget for 2020. The tax levy for the general fund, part-town fund and part-town highway fund is $11,240,178, which represents a 1.74% increase over the 2020 tax levy. Taxes collected for special districts — such as drainage, lighting and trash — total $5,750,069. The town reports $2,103,710 in non-property tax revenue, which is down 15% from 2020. The town is appropriating $1 million from its reserve funds toward the budget.
According to the town’s preliminary budget document, a property owner whose home is assessed at $100,000 can expect to pay slightly less in 2021 than they did this year. The tax rate is approximately $5.07 per $1,000 of assessed value compared to roughly $5.09 per thousand in 2020. Taxes on a $100,000 home would be $506.76 next year compared to $508.65 this year.
Visit ciceronewyork.net or contact the town clerk’s office at 315-752-1180 to inspect the entire 2021 budget.
Clay keeps taxes stable with grants
According to Clay Supervisor Damian Ulatowski’s annual budget message and the adopted budget available on the town’s website, general and highway appropriations for 2021 will total $16,513,268, an increase of $350,000.00 or 2.03% over the adopted budget for 2020
Ulatowski said the tax rate will remain the same for residents as in 2020. The town has pursued numerous grants to fund projects and keep taxes stable.
“We strive to provide the best possible delivery of services to our residents at the least possible cost,” he said.
Among the highlights are several town maintenance projects:
• Highway pole barn: $30,000 for new roof and siding
• Clay Senior Center: $20,000 for new siding
• Meltzer Park: $100,000 in improvements, including tennis and pickleball courts, swing sets and safety surfaces
Highway appropriations for 2021 total $2.3 million, which will keep Clay on the road maintenance schedule determined by the 2016 road condition study, modeled after a Cornell University study. In 2019, Clay purchased a new paver, allowing the town to complete an additional 30% to 40% of road improvements.
Visit https://bit.ly/clay2021 to view the full adopted budget for 2021.
Taxes dip in Salina
In her 2021 budget message, Salina Supervisor Colleen Gunnip said the pandemic has made crafting a budget “extremely difficult.”
“It is hard to budget for the unknown during this very difficult time,” said Gunnip.
Despite the economic difficulties wrought by the pandemic, the tax rate for 2021 will decrease for Salina residents.
Appropriations for 2021 will total $12,176,268. The town will appropriate $900,000 from its fund balance toward the budget.
See the attached infographic for more highlights of Salina’s 2021 budget.
Visit salina.ny.us/content/town-budget/ to view the adopted 2021 budget.
