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The Public Hearing on the 2005 Town budget is scheduled for Thursday, November 4th at 7:00 PM. The total budget expenditures including ambulance and fire districts have increased $266,039. Increases in town sales tax and mortgage tax revenue will substantially reduce the amount of this increase to be raised by property tax. The budget has increased as a result of increases in insurance costs, state retirement costs, salaries, records management, park and beautification projects, court costs, ambulance district costs, and fire protection costs. To cover the increased costs, property taxes will increase by 23 cents /$1,000 assessment. The total tax rate will be $2.885 per $1,000 of assessment. A resident that has property assessed at $100,000. will pay $288.50 in town, ambulance, and fire district taxes. Our total tax rate compares favorably to that of our neighboring towns.
The Town Offices will be closed on Tuesday, November 2nd for Election Day, Thursday, November 11th for Veteran's Day and Thursday, November 25th for Thanksgiving.
Zoning Board of Appeals Appointment
The open position on the Zoning Board of Appeals was recently filled with the appointment of Bob McConnell. Bob lives on Wagman's Ridge Road and brings a lot of experience and common sense to the position.
As of the writing of this newsletter, the City of Saratoga Springs has not made a final decision on the preferred source of additional water for the city. A decision is expected before the end of the year. The official website of the Saratoga Lake Association is www.saratogalake.org.
The 2005 Town of Saratoga calendars are now available. Calendars feature pictures from days gone by in the villages of Schuylerville and Victory and in the surrounding areas and include pictures of seventh grade students at the Victory Mills School in 1946 and the Hudson River speedway about 1950. Calendar pages are sprinkled with over 100 historical tidbits. You can learn when George Washington stayed at the Schuyler House, when lightning struck the monument, and when Fort Hardy Park was sold to the village of Schuylerville. Calendars may be purchased for $5.00 in Schuylerville at Old Saratoga Books, General Schuyler’s Pantry, and Dovegate Inn on Broad Street, the Town Clerk’s office on Ferry Street, and at Saratoga Apple and the Trading Post Museum and Gift Shop on Spring Street. Calendars are also available at the Herb Thomas family and Town Supervisor Thomas Wood in Grangerville and Olde Saratoga Home and Garden on Route 29. Marion DeHeer, Helen Robbins and Pat Peck, members of the Old Saratoga Historical Association, also have calendars for sale. Call Pat Peck, calendar coordinator, at 584-4129 for more information, or to arrange to have calendars mailed. This is the twentieth year that the Old Saratoga Historical Association has produced a town calendar
Schuylerville-Victory Water Board News
The Water Board met on October 19th and discussed emergency contacts for the dig safely list, housing and insurance for water board owned equipment, certification for employees operating the equipment, and rates for turning-on a unit. In addition, approval was given for the purchase of a $300.00 eyelift for the backhoe. The next water workshop will be held in Victory on November 9th at 6:00 PM and the next water board meeting will be held on November 16th at 7:00 PM in Victory.
News from Saratoga County Sales tax receipts for Saratoga County continue to increase. As a result, the county is able to lower the county tax rate by $.10 / $1,000 of assessment.