FREDONIA, N.Y. — It is big proposal for residents in the small Village of Fredonia.
Nineteen percent is the proposed tax increase in the mayor's budget proposal. Residents call it "absurd."
Trustee Paul Wandel told 2 On Your Side that he checked with the village clerk and learned there were smaller tax increases over the last few years, "but they have been under the 3% New York State cap."
When asked why a 19% hike, Wandel said "probably the the costs of running the government in the village of Fredonia has outpaced the tax revenues, and as I said, that's largely due, I think, to inflation. So it it may well be that there was not enough tax revenue coming in over previous years to substantiate the budget, and currently where we're at right now, so it's basically caught up with the village."
Trustee Michelle Twichell said the needs and wants by department heads may not be met and that would include not hiring more people.
She hopes the lawmakers can agree on a lower tax increase.
"Our treasurer has suggested a 3.1% tax cap," she told 2 On Your Side.
The current population in the Village of Fredonia is a little over 9,000 people. Wandel said that there has been a decrease in the population over the last 10 years, where it was previously about 12,000 people.
"So the tax base has shrunk both in residence and industry," he told 2 On Your Side.