Residents in the village of Fayetteville will see no increase in their tax rate, which will remain at $6.70 per $1,000 of assessed value, according to Mayor Mark Olson, who presented the tentative 2015-16 budget at the March 9 village board meeting.
“I’m pleased to announce that this year, again, we will be releasing a budget that will have no tax increase,” Olson said. “In 2004, the village tax rate was $6.75 per $1,000 assessed value. To say the village has done its job in keeping taxes down is an understatement.”
Compared to 2014, budget spending only went up 1.93 percent, which was mostly caused by the cost of labor increases, said Olson.
Tax assessments in the village increased 3 percent — from $291 million in 2014 to $299 million in 2015. According to Olson, for the first time he has known, village revenue went up 3 percent, which he credits to the decrease in pension costs from last year.
Olson also said he is asking for a pay cut of $500 this year from each elected village position (except for the village justice) to give to the department heads of the Department of Public Works, Fire and EMS in the form of a raise.
“I think all of us [elected officials] do it for our village, not for the money,” Olson said. “I know we all work hard, but I want to show our residents it’s important to keep taxes down and still provide all of the services we do.”
There were no cuts made to any village programs nor was any of the village workforce reduced, said Olson.
Before the 2015-16 budget is approved, each department within the village must meet for a budget workshop to go over all expenses and revenues, which will be done over the course of the next few weeks.
“I think we’re very fortunate in the village where we’re in a position to do this for another year,” Olson said.
Also at the meeting, the board:
—Heard a ‘State of the County’ update from County Legislator Kevin Holmquist, who said a big focus for him this year will be in the public safety sphere.
“The need for improvements in the mental health wing at the county penitentiary is literally an emergency. And there is a general overcrowding of inmates that we didn’t have years ago when the facilities were built,” said Holmquist. “The issues there are a primary driver in a lot of the overtime for the county budget.”
In addition fixing penitentiary problems, Holmquist said he would also like to focus on the overall management of the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Department, who is being managed by newly elected Sheriff Gene Conway.
“Conway has a tremendous amount of work ahead of him but has had a great start,” Holmquist said. “There are many challenges ahead for him and his administrative team.”
Holquist also reported Onondaga County has one of the highest bond ratings in the state and is in a “very strong financial state.”
—Approved a lawn maintenance contract with Lynch’s Landscaping Company for $45 per mow to maintain the village office and fire station grounds.
—Approved a contract with Bartlette Tree for $79 to do an annual maintenance of the trees on the village office grounds.
Hayleigh Gowans is a reporter for the Eagle Bulletin. She can be reached at [email protected].
