Milo faces 2.6 percent tax increase

Nov 06, 2012 at 03:23 pm by Observer-Review


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Milo faces 2.6 percent tax increase

    MILO—The Milo Town Board presented its preliminary budget for 2013, which includes a 2.6 percent increase in taxes from last year. Deputy Supervisor and Budget Officer John Socha said the 2013 budget contains a $42,000 overall tax increase from last year, but the state cap would have allowed an increase of $64,590, or 4 percent.
    Supervisor Leslie Church said town employees were given a two percent raise to cover an increase in their Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) expenses, but she said the town board refused a raise for the upcoming year.
     Socha said one of the larger increases from last year is zoning contractual expenses being increased by $16,000 to cover the expense of implementing the town’s comprehensive plan and to get the zoning going as well.
    “I think if we reversed roles here and let you guys do the budget, I bet it would be the same,” Socha said. “We busted our butt here.”
    Resident and President of the Keuka Lake Association Bill Laffin questioned the need for a budget officer, saying the budget officer is an appointed position yet makes more than the elected officials.
    “It’s time for the rest of the board to step up and eliminate the need for a chief budget officer,” Laffin said. “If we need a chief budget officer, let’s go hire one. It just strikes me as odd that an appointed supervisor makes more than the elected board members.”
    In other business:
    Milo held an informational meeting regarding the draft for a new comprehensive plan. George Frantz gave a brief presentation on the plan saying he used the old comprehensive plan developed back in 2009 as a basis for the new one, saying it is itself a good plan, but one that needs a few slight adjustments.
    Frantz said the three key objectives he outlined in the new plan were to implement new land use regulations to better protect agricultural lands, the rural character and quality of life of the town, and to make efficient use of the infrastructure. He said the new plan also focuses on the capital improvement plan and continued efforts to protect the water quality of Keuka Lake. A copy of the draft comprehensive plan can be found on the town website at www.townofmilo.com.

 

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