Anthony Fiducia is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media the town of Cairo $2.8 million budget for 2018 includes a tax increase that exceeds the state-mandated cap. The spending plan and resolutions to exceed the tax cap were unanimously adopted by the Cairo Town Board last week. The board also unanimously voted to continue the Cold War veterans property tax exemption. Cairo Town Supervisor Daniel Benoit said the property tax increase is 3.95 percent, or a $34 increase per $100,000 assessment. The increase was necessary, Benoit said, because over the past few years the town has depleted its fund balance. Benoit said possible long-term budget solutions include creating a better commercial property tax base, getting more businesses in town or raising property taxes even further. “We’re gonna have to come up with a long-time strategy to growing the town’s commercial tax base — and a short-term strategy of closing that gap,” Benoit said. Despite the funding challenges faced by the town, the board chose not to make any cuts to the police department, ambulance and highway department. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.