Mount Kisco Trustees Approve 2011-12 Budget
The Mount Kisco Village Board of Trustees has unanimously approved a 2011-12 general fund budget with a property tax increase of 1.879 percent, which is about one-half less than what was part of the original spending plan proposed by Village Manager James Palmer.
Faced with an increased contribution of $306,096 to the state public employee retirement system, $141,328 more for village employee health insurance, lower property values and other factors, Palmer originally sought a $20,090,057 budget that would have increased taxes by 3.66 percent.
But following several budget work sessions, the board of trustees on April 25 adopted a $19,924,125 general fund budget for 2011-12 that reduced the tax hike to nearly 1.9 percent. To get to the lower tax increase, the trustees took such measures as using $72,365 from a five-year tax stabilization fund of $350,000 created by the trustees, Palmer said following the meeting. Some of the other measures taken by the board to hold down the tax increase included a reduction in police overtime and legal fees, Palmer said.
The 2011-12 budget, which will go into effect on June 1, will increase spending by $406,665 over the current year’s $19,517,460 ledger.
Prior to the vote on the budget, Mayor Michael Cindrich said “a significant increase in employee health benefits,” tax certiorari challenges from property owners, and state mandates were some of the factors the board had to deal with in creating the 2011-12 budget. The tax increase is “something that I believe is palatable for our residents,” Cindrich said. “We’re committed to doing more with less.”
