Yorktown Town Board Adopts 2023 Budget with Tax Drop
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Homeowners in the Town of Yorktown received an early gift from the Town Board last week with the adoption of the 2023 budget that carries a property tax decrease.
Under the $65.4 million budget unanimously passed Dec. 6, the average home assessed at $10,000 will see a decrease in their town tax rate of approximately $25.59. The town’s 23 special taxing districts, which include specific parks and sewer districts, will either remain flat or see slight decreases.
“This wasn’t an easy budget,” said Supervisor Matt Slater. “It’s a needs-only budget, and considering the forces that were against us, I think this is a sound budget for Yorktown that really keeps us moving in the right direction.”
The new spending plan reduces both the town’s tax levy and tax rate for the second time in the past three years. The 2023 budget includes funding to allow the Police Department to hire an additional officer to expand its Traffic Unit.
Town officials had to wrestle with significant increases in essential operational items such as diesel gasoline, road salt, construction materials and employee health insurance.
The largest increase was in the cost of garbage and recycling service, which grew by $1.5 million after the current hauler proposed doubling the rate by $2 million. The 2023 contract will ultimately cost customers of the refuse district $1.5 million less over the first five years as compared to the first proposal and $2.5 million less if the contract extends the full eight years.
“There’s no fat in here to cut off,” said Deputy Supervisor Tom Diana. “The garbage contract alone saved us quite a bit of money for the first year and then over the remaining years, so we’re hoping that will be reflected in the upcoming budgets.”
Town taxes represent only 12% of a property owner’s tax bill. Other portions of the tax bill include refuse and recycling service, fire and EMS and water.
Rick has more than 40 years’ experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, running the gamut from politics and crime to sports and human interest. He has been an editor at Examiner Media since 2012. Read more from Rick’s editor-author bio here. Read Rick’s work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/pezzullo_rick-writer/
