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Chatham Town Board approves 2018 budget

Nov 27, 2017 12:06 am

Emilia Teasdale is reporting in The Columbia Paper the Chatham Town Board last week adopted the town's 2018 budget, totaling $2.9 million, including the general fund and the Highway Department, below the state-mandated tax cap of 1.84 percent. Total expenditures for next year represent a slight decrease from this year. The resulting tax rate for properties located outside the village will be $3.29 per thousand of assessed value; for properties within the village, the tax rate will total $1.33 per thousand. In comments about the spending plan, Supervisor Maria Lull said next year a town hall maintenance position would be eliminated and those duties outsourced, and the town assessor will remain at his current salary, which was cut last year rather than contracting with the county to provide assessor services. The board also voted to increase the tuition for summer camp at Crellin Park, for swimming lessons at the pond, and the town will also charge the town of Kinderhook more for its summer recreation program's use of the pond. And local fire companies will see increases in the funds they receive next year. The budget passed on a unanimous vote; however, member Henry Swartz did not attend the meeting. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.