Town of Greece Supervisor Bill Reilich and the Greece Town Board have released their proposed budget for the town which reduces taxes again this year. The proposed rate decrease will to go down from the current $6.33 per $1,000 in property value to $6.29 per $1,000 property value. This will be the 4th year that they town tax rate has decreased.
“When I first took office in 2014, I inherited a budget that was running with a 9% deficit” said Supervisor Reilich. “I knew that we needed to take immediate action to right the town’s finances and bring the budget into balance. Our efforts included not only focusing on reducing our costs, but also finding ways to develop new revenue streams and enhance current ones. There was a great deal of effort on both parts and we are now seeing the benefits of our cost-cutting measures. Additionally, we have brought many new amenities and enhanced services to our residents while decreasing our tax rate again in 2019”.
The proposed 2019 budget and capital plan includes:
- A strong $1,000,000 below the tax cap.
- Enhancements and expansion of recreational programs at the Community and Senior Center.
- The planned rehabilitation of another park shelter.
- Improvements to our Town Hall Service Mall.
- A plan to install permanent generators in the remaining town facilities to ensure uninterrupted operation during emergencies.
- The final debt payment on the Greece Public Library facility.
“None of the improvements we are proposing will use any debt to finance them. Because we took action in 2014, we are able to finance more improvements through cash rather than debt. This continues to keep the town’s finances on a sound long-term footing” Reilich said. “I fully expect another reduction in the tax rate next year as we continue to improve and develop alternative revenues. We are taking an incremental approach toward reducing the tax rate, and one that is sustainable”.
A public hearing on the proposed budget is scheduled for Wednesday, November 7th at 5:30 pm at Greece Town Hall.