Taxes would increase 2.1 to 3.8% under proposed $16.52 million town budget

Changing worker’s comp insurance saves $160K, By Linda Smith Hancharick Warwick — The Town of Warwick’s preliminary budget for fiscal year 2008 is $16,522,710, an increase of just under 5 percent from last year’s budget. What this means to taxpayers if the budget is adopted would be an increase of 3.8 percent in their tax rate for town residents outside of the villages and 2.1 percent for village residents. Town residents outside of the three villages would pay $14.73 per $1,000 of assessed value, up from $14.20 per $1,000 a year ago. A homeowner whose assessment is $50,000 would pay $736.50, $26.50 more in town taxes over the year than it did this year. A homeowner with an assessment of $75,000 would pay $1,104.75. Village residents would pay $4.95 per $1,000 of assessed value, up 10 cents from last year’s rate. A village homeowner whose assessment is $50,000 would pay $247.50 in town taxes in 2008, up $4.50 from last year’s taxes. A homeowner with an assessment of $75,000 would pay $371.25. Supervisor Mike Sweeton said the town was looking to withdraw from the Orange County Self-Insurance Worker’s Compensation Fund and go to another company to provide worker’s compensation to the town’s employees. Through the Association of Towns, he said, the town received a quote from a company named Comp Alliance. The amount was $160,000 less than the original quote from Orange County. Aside from the worker’s compensation insurance, the big ticket items in the proposed budget are the same as in years past: salaries, insurance and fringe benefits. The total police budget for 2008 is proposed at $5,947,693, up about 8 percent from last year’s budget. Of that amount, $1,155,659 would come from the Village of Warwick. Fringe benefits alone cost just more than $200,000 more this year than last. Also proposed is an $8,154,370 budget for special districts. Only residents of those districts, for example the water districts, fire districts, lighting districts, pay for the services provided. A public hearing was held last night on the preliminary budget. Copies of the budget are available for review at the Town Hall as well as the libraries in Florida, Greenwood Lake and Warwick. Sweeton said the Town Board should approve the budget at its Nov. 15 meeting.