Town of Niagara proposes more than $11 million 2025 budget

Sep. 29—TOWN OF NIAGARA — The Town of Niagara has unveiled a proposed 2025 budget that totals more than $11.43 million.

Although the spending plan includes both residential and business property tax increases, those hikes are under the state's 2% tax cap.

"I think it's a good budget," Town Supervisor Sylvia Virtuoso said. "It's under the tax cap. It's a pretty fair budget for everyone, without cutting services."

The proposed budget projects $5.317 million in spending for the general fund. Highways, water and sewer operations, fire protection and lighting account for the remaining spending.

"We asked the department heads to come up with a wish list and they were very conservative in what they asked for," Virtuoso said. "We were also trying to catch up in some departments where the (revenue) lines weren't matching up with the services we provide. We wanted to get them a little closer to reality."

The supervisor cited parks and senior services as examples of areas where spending was exceeding budget allocations.

For 2025 the town projects to spend $1.679 million on highways, $1.250 million on its water system and $2.523 million for the sewer district. The proposed budget allocates $564,000 for fire protection and $100,000 for lighting.

The more than $11 million dollar budget is balanced to a projected more than $2.969 million in property taxes and more than $8.24 million in revenue from sales taxes, permits and licenses.

The spending plan also calls for the transfer of a more than $220,000 2024 budget surplus to 2025 revenues.

The total 2025 property tax rate for homeowners is $7.69 per thousand assessed valuation. With a home assessed at $100,000 that would add $3 to the yearly tax bill.

The proposed property tax rate for businesses is $11.92 per thousand assessed valuation. A business assessed at $100,000 would see its tax bill go up $35.

"Like everyone with their household budget, costs have gone up for the town as well," Virtuoso said, citing a 13% increase in health care costs.