NEWBURGH – After Newburgh city officials compared 2020 budget notes with the state comptroller’s office, it looks like a proposed 9.1 percent homestead tax rate hike will not happen.
Mayor Torrance Harvey said Sunday evening city and state financial staff have gone over the numbers with the city finding an additional $1 million on the revenue side of the budget, meaning the homestead tax rate would decline by 0.24 percent.
“According to the latest update by the city comptroller Todd Venning there is not going to be an increase in the homestead tax levy,” he said. “Because there is a four percent proposed increase in the non-homestead tax levy, that is better than the 11 percent or 20 percent that was also proposed.”
Harvey said the reduced tax levy figures will have no direct bearing on proposed cuts in the police and fire departments; however, the city is working to reduce those cuts.
City officials will continue to work on the numbers at a special budget session on Wednesday, November 6.
