NEW CITY – The Town of Clarkstown’s tentative 2016 budget as prepared by Supervisor Alexander Gromack comes in with a tax increase of 0.34 percent, which falls under the state’s tax cap of 0.73 percent. He said town taxpayers are entitled to benefit from the state’s property tax freeze program by receiving a refund, in effect resulting in no tax increase at all.
Gromack said this is the second consecutive year that the town is under the cap despite the continued increasing costs it faces. He pointed to pension costs for CSEA and police employees totaled $12 million in 2015, but will increase by $400,000 in 2016. Health care costs will also go up by more than $400,000, from $14.5 million in 2015 to $14.9 million next year.
The town will also pay over $209,000 in MTA tax to the state, while schools, libraries and small businesses are exempt from the payroll tax.
“Despite increasing costs, we continue to make fiscally responsible decisions trying to reduce the cost of governing without reducing taxes,” Gromack said. “While we look to downsize and consolidate government, we are not short changing residents. All essential services are still being provided from recreation to leaf pickup to snow removal>
