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ARKWRIGHT Turbines paying off with town budget

Former Arkwright town Supervisor Frederic “Nick” Norton knew early in his tenure that finding tax revenues was not an easy answer. His vision, however, has left a stamp on the municipality that serves nearly 1,100 residents in the hills.

After more than a decade of working to bring windmills to the town, what Norton did is paying off. Earlier this month, the Town Board approved the 2022 budget that includes an increase in revenue and a reduction for property owners.

“We wanted to give some kind of tax reduction this year,” Supervisor Brian McAvoy said. “We haven’t raised taxes, but last year we kept them the same as they were for 2020. Last year there was a lot of uncertainty in the budget because of COVID, but this year, we’re a lot more confident.”

Those wind turbines have not been popular with everyone. But there is a return on investment in the form of a payment in lieu of taxes agreement the company forks over to the town and local schools.

Arkwright has a presence because of those towers — visible from more than 20 miles away on the state Thruway. Its financial benefit is the revenue to the town.

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