BROCTON - Portland Town leaders have kept their record for the seventh year in a row after adopting a budget with a zero percent tax increase.
During a public hearing, council members adopted a town budget for 2013 with a total of $569,931 to be raised by taxes. As in previous years' budgets, the tax rate for town property owners is established as $4.89 per $1,000 in assessed value.
Town Supervisor Dan Schrantz noted, "We met for a budget workshop, and our tentative budget called for a tax rate of $5.05. Following our workshop, we continued to work and cut where we could to get to a zero percent increase. The hard part for this year was a decrease in assessed value from the previous years, as well as increased workers' compensation costs within our budget."
With no further questions from the councilmen, and no members of the public present to address budget items, the 2013 budget was voted on and carried by the council.
Following the passing of the budget, Schrantz did update the council that town residents, Mark Rand and Bill Ploetz are continuing their work with Bob Wright, customer relations manager for NYS Office of Property Tax Services to scrutinize how the town's equalization rate was calculated.
