Somers Preliminary 2013 Budget Raises Taxes 3.2 Percent

Somers' preliminary $13.1 million budget stays within the state mandated two-percent cap, avoids layoffs and carries a 1.8 percent tax levy increase, Somers Supervisor Mary Beth Murphy said. 

"I've always budgeted conservatively," she said. "I think it's a fair and conservative projection at what our expenses and revenues will be."

Under the town's $13.1 million spending plan, the tax levy increases 1.8 percent – up from $12.6 million in 2012. Murphy said the increases are mainly due to the rising pension and health care costs. 

Under the 2013 spending plan, Somers residents would see a 3.2 tax rate increase - or $13.71 per $1,000 of assessed value – which is 44 cents more that last year's. The average home is assessed at about $65,000, which means the average property tax bill for Somers residents would go up $28.60 from last year to $891.15 in 2013, Murphy said.

"We cut back our expenses and we did this early on," Murphy said. "That is what I think made us safe and secure financially."

The public hearing on the 2013 budget has been scheduled for Dec. 6 at Town Hall. Murphy expects town board members to adopt the budget on Dec. 13. 

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